A Year of Progress: Introducing the 2025 Goalball UK Annual Report
Welcome to a landmark year for our sport. We are incredibly proud to share the Goalball UK Annual Report 2025 (Word Doc) (PDF) , which highlights a period of substantial growth, transformation, and community impact.
While our reports are typically published earlier in the year, you will notice this 2025 edition is reaching you this June. We took the deliberate decision to spend extra time working together to improve the members’ survey, ensuring we accurately capture the voice and needs of the community before publishing our findings.
Commenting on the release of the report, Goalball UK CEO Mark Winder said:
“It has been a landmark year for the organisation. We successfully unified our performance system into a single integrated pathway, engaged 40 individuals through our major recruitment drives, and secured a 96% uplift in combined investment from UK Sport and Sport England for the LA 2028 Paralympic cycle.With the official launch of our new strategic plan, ‘Empowering Our People’, we are placing the community right at the heart of our decision-making to build a clear roadmap for our players, our workforce, and our experiences.”
Here is a closer look at what we have achieved together over the past twelve months:
Empowering Our People
2025 marked the official launch of our new strategic plan, “Empowering Our People”. This strategy places our community firmly at the heart of our decision-making, providing a clear roadmap dedicated to growing our players, developing our workforce, and ensuring we provide high-quality, inclusive experiences across the board.
Transforming High Performance
With our sights set on the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic cycle, we successfully unified our performance system into a single integrated pathway. By centralising our operations at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, we have standardised professional support for our athletes. Crucially, this vision has been backed by a 96% uplift in combined investment from UK Sport and Sport England.
Expanding Our Community Reach
Goalball is far more than a sport; it is a community that builds confidence and independence. This year, our grassroots growth was exceptional:
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We delivered 75 sessions across schools, educational settings, and partnership events.
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These initiatives engaged 1,119 children and young people, including 197 individuals who are blind or partially sighted.
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We delivered 14 School Leaders’ courses, upskilling 156 individuals to deliver Goalball in educational settings.
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Our community’s confidence in our direction is growing, with our overall Net Promoter Score rising to 58.
Looking Ahead
This year is also highly significant for our leadership, marking John Grosvenor’s final year as Chair. His steadfast guidance has been invaluable, and we thank him for everything he has done to champion the sport.
With the continued dedication of our staff, volunteers, players, and partners, we are in a remarkably strong position to build upon the foundations laid in 2025.
