SIV secures leading sports governing body for Sheffield

THE National Governing Body for basketball in England is moving its headquarters to the English Institute of Sport Sheffield (EIS Sheffield) after agreeing a long term deal with Sheffield International Venues (SIV).

SIV is part of the local charity Sheffield City Trust (SCT), which provides facilities for sport and leisure activities for the benefit of Sheffield people. As a not-for-profit organisation, all revenue generated is reinvested back into programmes and facilities in the city.

Building work has already started inside EIS Sheffield to create a large open-plan office space for England Basketball’s 20-strong team. The headquarters, due to be completed in September, will also include a number of backboards and hoops, AV systems and a large workshop and seminar room for regular events and lectures aimed specifically at providing an improved environment for basketball officials and referee training.

England Basketball, as the National Governing Body, was previously based in smaller offices at EIS Sheffield for a short period in 2009. It works to encourage participation by all ages and abilities and improve the performance and quality of basketball throughout the country.

It will use the facilities at EIS Sheffield to deliver programmes and initiatives and to host annual basketball events.

Basketball is the second biggest team participation sport in England with more than 2.5m people over the age of 14 playing some form of basketball every year.

Huw Morgan, chief executive of England Basketball, said: “This is a fantastic move for England Basketball and we would like to thank SIV for their assistance throughout this process, which has been first class.

“EIS Sheffield is a superb facility and we are proud that our new home will be based alongside other leading and established sports governing bodies. For the last five years we have been operating out of much smaller offices in Sheffield, so we are delighted that our home base will remain in the city.

“The move will provide a fantastic, dedicated and bespoke base to deliver programmes to support the development of the game such as training and education initiatives for coaches, referees and officials and we will also look to utilise the basketball courts at EIS Sheffield to host annual events.”

EIS Sheffield is home to GB Boxing, which is responsible for the GB Boxing men and women’s squads who won five medals at London 2012 Olympics, and Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill, who trains under coach, Toni Minichiello, at the venue.

Its state-of-the-art facilities are also used by the British Table Tennis Association for the Disabled and some of the Paralympic Boccia team. The Sheffield Sharks basketball team play their 18 home games a season at EIS Sheffield.

Steve Brailey, chief executive of SIV and SCT, said: “We are proud to be the new home of England Basketball. We hope that the facilities and set up at EIS Sheffield can help the governing body to build on the fantastic work it has been doing over the last few years to further develop the sport in this country.

“As well as securing continued employment in the city for England Basketball staff, the economic impact generated by events that will now be hosted in Sheffield as a result of this deal is significant. In the wake of London 2012, it also shows Olympic legacy coming to fruition.

“As a charity which is 100 per cent committed to encouraging more people to get involved in sport and physical activity, we are delighted to be working with an organisation with the same goals through basketball.”