Olympic beach volleyball sand comes to St Albans
Community projects officer Jo Howlett lines up a serve on the beach volleyball court in verulamium park - Credit: Archant
IT may be too cold to don a skimpy bikini, but that will not stop the buzz generated by London 2012 Games continuing in St Albans this weekend when locals can serve, bump and spike on sand from the Olympic beach volleyball court.
Sand has been donated to six venues including the city’s park to encourage community involvement in one of the most popular sports at the Games.
St Albans district council is hosting an urban beach weekend to launch the new courts at Verulamium from 12pm until 4pm this Saturday and Sunday.
The project was brought to fruition after the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games’ (LOCOG) decided to donate over 4,000 tonnes of sand used at the competition held at Horse Guards Parade and the training courts at St James’s Park and almost half a million pounds of funding was given by Sport England.
The London 2012 sand has been shared between community facilities in St Albans, Brentwood, Greenwich, Redbridge, Wimbledon and Wandsworth.
The launch weekend coincides with Volleyball England’s Go Spike campaign to encourage people across the country to play volleyball for free. Taster sessions for both beach volleyball and volleyball will be held on the grass area surrounding the new courts, located near the tennis courts and AdiZone.
There will also be a programme of tournaments and competitions on the beach courts to demonstrate beach volleyball.
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Visitors will be given the chance to try out the new courts for themselves as part of the event.
Cllr Mike Wakely, portfolio holder for sports and leisure, urged residents to try out the new courts, adding, “Volleyball is an intensive, enjoyable game to play or watch and it certainly helps keep you fit”.
For more information see www.stalbans.gov.uk/beach-courts
