West Yorkshire Goalball Club

How many members/participants does West Yorkshire Goalball Club support?

We currently have 23 members plus a number of regular 'visitors' from other nearby clubs.

How long has the club been running?

In 1992, the Leeds and District Sports and Social Club for the Blind and Partially Sighted was formed. Goalball was one of the original sports members elected to play. Fast forward over 30 years and the goalball team is still going strong, although it is now called 'West Yorkshire' to reflect the wider geographical area that the members come from.

Who do you support and what sport(s) do you facilitate?

We are primarily a goalball club, but we also have an informal monthly VI football session. Additionally, we also take part in social activities such as going out for meals, tenpin bowling, quiz nights, etc.

Over the years, to help with building and maintaining out fitness, as well as raising the profile of the club, we have taken part in various challenges. This has ranged from local parkruns to the Leeds 10k and a 170-mile Coast to Coast Bike Ride. Some of our members are also part of other local clubs such as Tandem Trekkers and the Yorkshire VI Cricket Club.

How do you get people involved in sport(s)?

We deliver taster sessions at schools and community events. We also receive referrals from local VI organisations and professionals. Word of mouth is probably the main way that we can recruit new members though. Existing members invite family, friends, colleagues, etc to come along. Sometimes people can be a bit apprehensive at first - as they don't perceive themselves as being 'sporty' or have had negative experiences in the past - but after a bit of gentle persuasion they discover how great goalball is!

Has British Blind Sport help your club in any way?

Our club is listed on the BBS Activity Finder and they often share our social media posts. We were also very grateful to receive some Together Fund earlier this year.

Tell us more about your club, future sessions or opportunities for blind or partially sighted people to get involved.

We train at The Edge at the University of Leeds approximately twice a month, on a Sunday afternoon, from 1.30-4.30pm. We also play in the Goalball UK Region A League and the Intermediate North League. Some of our players are really competitive and have aspirations to progress in the sport whereas others like to just come along for some fun and the social aspect. Our members currently range in age from 7 to over 40. Sighted family and friends are also welcome to join in. We are always on the look-out for new volunteers plus any local businesses that would be willing to sponsor us.