UK dodgeball is changing to align with the rest of the world. We need help funding our new equipment in order to keep up with these changes, and to encourage more people to get involved in the sport.

Who are WE?

For the 2016/17 season, the University of Nottingham Dodgeball Club had 66 members, made up of both men and women, from a variety of different academic backgrounds. Our club strives for maximum inclusivity, catering for all from complete beginners to international players. We take pride in our friendly atmosphere, with both competitive play and an active social scene.

Over half of our members compete across four national leagues with other regular tournaments throughout the year. The 2016/17 season was our club's most successful yet, with more members than last year! We also had success on court with the Men's As winning the UKDBA University Open 2016, and the Women's As winning the UKDBA University Spring Open 2017.

Unforgettably, our Men's A team are also currently the national university champions after they won ALL of their matches in the UKDBA University Dodgeball Premier League 2016/17, a title we aim to retain in the coming season! Watch our full highlights reel in the video at the top of this page.

What is dodgeball?

Dodgeball is one of the fastest growing sports, with over 100 clubs operating across the UK. The games are fast paced and high intensity, but accessible to all with players across the country varying in age and skill level.

The aim of the game is to eliminate your opponents by hitting them, whilst dodging any incoming attacks yourself. It is a sport that emphasises team work, fast thinking and adaptation, and a fun way to keep fit!

Why DO We need your Help?

The UK Dodgeball rules and regulations are changing to catch up with the rest of the world, including changes to gameplay, team roles and equipment.

Starting next season, all teams will be moving from 3-ball dodgeball onto 5-ball dodgeball. Not only do we therefore need more dodgeballs for the matches we play, but we also need to buy completely new dodgeballs, as the balls have decreased in size from last season.

This equipment is obviously crucial to our training, which will impact our performance in tournaments and leagues. Our aim is to retain our current titles, and challenge others, to prove we are the best university team in the country!

Additionally we want our club to continue to expand and grow, getting as many people active and enjoying our sport as possible. We aim to increase our membership numbers next year, and this equipment will enable us to support those new players.

Therefore, it is vital that we are able purchase this equipment.

Where will the money go?

All of your money will go directly towards helping our members.

£500 will fund all of our required new equipment, including balls, bibs and cones.

£1000 coupled with our SU funding and membership fees, will enable us to fund all of our new equipment, in addition to covering some of our competition entry fees.

This would mean subsidised costs for our members, who last year paid £10 per competition to play, totalling over £150 for some, in addition to the university gym and membership costs at the start of the year. With higher subsidies we can get more people involved in the sport, without money being a deciding factor in their participation.

Wider Impact

Not only will your donation help our club develop and grow, but will also impact the wider community.

Our club runs a number of events throughout the year in association with the university, including:

• Alumni Sports Challenge - past club members challenge our current squad to see who will claim the annual title.
• Weekly Engage Sessions - these sessions are open to all and are aimed at beginners who don't want to commit to a sports team, but still want to stay active.
• One-day IMS tournaments - where individuals or societies can have a taster of the sport, competing in a friendly environment.
• Girls' Night In taster session - aiming to increase female participation in sport.

Furthermore, we work closely with a group called DiSCO (Dodgeball in Schools and Community Outreach) , who aim to increase participation in young people and the wider community. A number of our students volunteer, running sessions and events with the group, making dodgeball accessible to all.

Rewards

We appreciate all donations that you kindly give, and as a thank you we have some great rewards on offer to you.

However, if you cannot donate for whatever reason, you can still help us succeed! Please use the 'become a helper' button near the top of this page to share this project on social media and with anyone you think would support us - the more people who see this, the more likely our club is to succeed.

Find us here

To keep up to date with the club, including updates from our fundraising campaign, follow us on social media:

Facebook: UoN Dodgeball

Twitter: @UoN_Dodgeball

Instagram: @UoN_Dodgeball

YouTube: UoN Dodgeball

Alternatively, if you have any questions for us, get in touch either on social media, or via email: dodgesoc@gmail.com .

Thank you for being a part of the University of Nottingham Dodgeball CLub's SUCCESS!