AN INITIATIVE to introduce young people to volleyball based in Horndean has led to regional recognition.

The satellite club organised by South Hants Volleyball Club at Horndean Technology College has been named as the best in the South East for inspiring young people who have never played the sport before.

Satellite clubs are extensions of community sports clubs, which use different venues such as a secondary schools or colleges to offer a range of sports to young people who may not be regularly active, or lack the confidence to join a sports club.

Using £49m of National Lottery funding, more than 6,900 satellite clubs have been established across England, helping to get almost 300,000 young people into sport since 2012.

By 2017, every secondary school in England will have been offered a satellite community sports club on its site. Satellite clubs are delivered by community sports clubs supported by the network of county sports partnerships and national governing bodies of sport.

At the South Hants Volleyball Satellite Club, more than 23 boys and girls have regularly attended and continued to play with the club, entering a team into a local league played over the summer.

Sport England’s Director for Community Sport, Mike Diaper, said: “I’m delighted that South Hants Volleyball Club has won this regional award. They’ve created a formidable pathway to help get young people in their community more involved in sport.”