Elaine Brown is taking volleyball to new heights across West Yorkshire. The coach, who lives in Leeds, has taught students from the age of eight to 18 across all schools in the Gorse Academies Trust, all six Leeds junior teams, and on the Yorkshire volleyball programme. She was appointed the director of youth development for the Leeds Gorse Volleyball Club and coach of the Gorse Academies Trust last year and, in October, won national volleyball coach of the year.

Brown has launched after-school volleyball in four primary schools, with each academy in the trust now offering the sport as part of PE and running weekly extra-curricular clubs with up to 60 students at a session. The under-15s girls’ team has reached the finals of the national championships. She also organised a Leeds Gorse Volleyball Club LGBT+ Open Play Day in conjunction with the Leeds LGBT+ Fringe Festival and is passionate about diversifying sport.