Bellos lead guests who bring to life 70th Anniversary celebrations

More than 50 guests and dignitaries were invited along to reflect on the highs and lows of the last seven decades – and also look forward to what is to come in the future. 

Deputy CEO Guin Batten took attendees on a nostalgic trip down memory lane, charting the progress of the sport from Dr Don Anthony’s initial vision and the setting up of the AVA in 1955 through to modern day. 

Her presentation included a powerful new video called Inclusive By Design (watch here) – one of Volleyball England’s hashtags on social media – which underlines volleyball’s power to unite people no matter their gender, age, sexuality, beliefs or background. 

Other clips to feature were from the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and the 2022 Commonwealth Games, while there were a host of pictures and excerpts from publications and meeting minutes. 

Beach volleyball players Javier and Joaquin Bello and sitting volleyball players Justin Phillips and Jodi Hill featured in the video footage and the accompanying images and were among a panel of 14 guests interviewed on stage about their memories and experiences in the game. 

Other to speak included Richard Callicott, Ron Richards, Ian Cooper, Geoff Allen, Rajinder Singh, Alex Porter, Welton Vinicius, Ella Watson, Veva Lopes and Irtiza Ahmad. 

What came out during those chats was the passion not just to record and respect the sport’s rich history, but also a determination to capitalise on its current popularity and drive forward more positive change across all three iterations of the sport. 

The ceremony was opened and closed by Volleyball England Chief Executive Officer Charlie Ford, who is fiercely proud of the way the organisation, and its members, have continuously adapted to the changing demands and challenges.  

“It was amazing to see so many people who have contributed so much to volleyball in this country all together at one time, and an occasion such as this 70th anniversary was a fitting moment for it to happen,” he said. 

“I thoroughly enjoyed listening to all the guests speak from the heart about such a wide range of topics, whether it be sharing their stories, memories or opinions, which really brought to life how we have arrived at where we are today. 

“Even in those moments before and after the ceremony, you could already here conversations going on about how to learn what has gone before in the past to help strengthen the sport in the future – it was inspiring to witness.” 

Volleyball England would like to thank Tom Young, Paige Nuttall and the rest of the Loughborough University staff for their help in delivering the event as part of Cup Finals weekend 2026.