Ron (right) receiving a presentation to mark 50 years as SW Sec.
It was great to see our long serving SW Secretary awarded the British Empire Medal for “Services to volleyball and the community in the South West of England” in this week’s King’s Birthday Honours list.
Ron has been the Secretary of the South West Volleyball Association since 1970, soon after the association was formed. In the 1980s and 1990s he was also a Vice Chairman of the English Volleyball Association, representing the SW Association at a national level.
In 1972 he established the Whitefield Volleyball Club (now part of the City of Bristol Volleyball Club) and in 1973 the Whitefield Volleyball Tournament. The tournament initially took place at the Whitefield Fishponds School before moving to Bath Sports Centre & Recreation Ground in 1982 and more recently at South Bristol Sports Centre
In 1977 he took up a teaching post at Priory Community School, Weston super Mare and established the Priory Volleyball Club and the Priory Volleyball Tournament. He continued to coach the school’s junior teams up to the point that he retired as the Head of Priory Community School in 2007.
More recently he has been the Chair of the Bristol & District Volleyball Association, a post he relinquished earlier in 2023.
Ron would like to acknowledge all the volunteers who make organized volleyball possible across this successful and active region and dedicates this award to those who have taught him so much over the years and supported him in his volunteering. He also thanks his wife Jan and children David and Kate for their support and for allowing him to spend so much of his time volunteering in his various volleyball activities.
