The Valley Leisure Centre, Olympic Train...

Paralympic sports and disciplines at this camp
Boccia, Paralympic Volleyball (sitting), Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Fencing, Wheelchair Rugby

The Valley Leisure Centre, as the VLC, is part of Pent Valley Technology College in Folkestone, Kent.

With approximately 1400 students Pent Valley Technology College is a designated unit for students with a physical, sensory or mental disability and has an Assisted Educational Needs Department containing over 300 children.

The VLC, which opened in 2005, was funded by the Big Lottery and is a dual-use facility for both College and Community. It was designed to provide accessible sporting opportunities to students at the College and also the people of Shepway. The architects were advised on the project by a group of disabled residents and professionals and went well beyond the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

The VLC includes a 23-station Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) fitness studio, a dance studio, four-court sports hall and a Bistro. The Centre also contains four accessible shower/WC facilities, two large and two medium-sized fully accessible changing areas, automatic doors and a paging system for alarms. Braille information is utilised extensively throughout the VLC. The design is now used and promoted by Kent County Council as good practice for new sports centres.

The VLC was one of the original 150 IFI sites and in 2006 was held up by the Big Lottery as an example of good practice for inclusive sport.

Its 23-station fitness studio is fully inclusive and boasts state-of-the-art, user-friendly equipment. Currently over 25% of the members have a disability, making it one of the most integrated inclusive sites in the UK.

The main sports hall was designed to house Wheelchair Basketball and is therefore slightly larger than a normal hall. It has a high specification Granwood Floor and can cater for Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Rugby, Wheelchair Fencing, Boccia and Sitting Volleyball along with numerous other activities.

Due to its dual-use nature, parts of the College are also available, providing classrooms, meeting rooms, office space and catering facilities.

The VLC also has an adapted minibus and a pool of sports wheelchairs to make sport as accessible as possible.

Hosting experience
The Valley Leisure Centre (VLC) is home to the Valley Vipers Wheelchair Basketball Club, which was founded by the Centre. Until recently, the Vipers were the only Wheelchair Basketball Club in Kent. Regional matches are regularly held at the VLC between the Vipers and other Clubs.

Working with the Kent County Council's Volleyball Development Officer, the VLC was instrumental in the return to the UK of Sitting Volleyball after a 15 year absence.

The VLC has previously hosted members of the Dutch mens and ladies Sitting Volleyball teams. in August 2008 it is looking forward to a visit from the Saudi Arabian Sitting Volleyball Squad who will visit Kent for several days.

Sport facility specifications
Paralympic sports
Boccia
Line Markings : Painted lines
Number of 12.5m x 6m courts : 4
Paralympic Volleyball (sitting)
Line Markings : Synthetic mat markings
Maximum lighting level : 500lux
Number of 10m x 6m sitting volleyball courts : 1
Wooden Sprung FloorWheelchair Basketball
Line Markings : Painted lines
Maximum lighting level : 500lux
Number of courts 28m x 15m : 1
Timing Device
Wooden Sprung Floor
Wheelchair fencing
Pistes
Number of pistes 4m x 2m: 4
Wheelchair frames
Number of wheelchair frames: 8
Wooden Sprung FloorWheelchair rugby
Markings for Wheelchair Rugby
Number of 34m x 21m playing areas : 1
Wooden Sprung Floor