HANDBALL is currently enjoying a huge rise in participation among Warrington youngsters after more than £1million was pumped into the sport.

Hundreds of teenagers have taken up the sport since September when Sport England’s satellite club programme, Active Cheshire, teamed up with Warrington Wolves Charitable Foundation.

The partnership sees handball sessions in the town being delivered outside of school time to provide additional opportunities for students aged 11 to 18 to get active and enjoy sport.

Great Britain player Holly Lam-Moores, a sports cluster coach for the Foundation, believes the satellite sessions have helped engage youngsters not necessarily interested in mainstream sports.

“The satellite programme really helped with the number of people, especially girls – there’s been a massive increase in numbers,” explained Lam-Moores, who also coaches the Warrington Wolves Handball Club under 16s and under18s girls’ sides.

“We had a parent say their child wasn’t interested in sport whatsoever, he didn’t like rugby or football, but now he religiously comes to handball club and it’s all he talks about.

“That’s what we wanted to gain. With handball, everything starts from scratch,and you are on a level playing field.

“They are more confident when they start handball as they’ve no previous impression of what it’s like. You often get children who are not engaged in sports.”

The Guardian’s Freedom of Information Request into Sport England funding in Warrington revealed, between 2011 and 2014, £1,157,534 was awarded to England Handball Association, based at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

That accounts for more than half the total amount of funding awarded by Sport England in Warrington in the past four years.

Overall, grants of £2,084,274 have helped everything from installing floodlights at Penketh Tennis Club to outfield replacements at Grappenhall Cricket Club and a Get Equipped ‘Cycling for People with Dwarfism’ programme.

However, the EHA money is dispersed across the country. It has helped increase participation in the town and create Super 8 side Warrington Wolves Handball Club.

WWHC, formerly Salford HC, is currently based at Trafford Park, but Foundation director Neil Kelly expects to move to a Warrington venue in September.

He says moving to Warrington will help with the club’s structure, encouraging junior development.

“We’ve got some of the top coaches,” he said. “Our Super 8 coach is the GB coach.

“We’ve got Holly and Scott Harrington, who was in the running squad for Olympics, and he is developing our under 18s team here – so we’ve got experience.

“Handball is a bit different. It’s something we took on board, from the 2012 Olympics it started to really catch people’s imagination.”

Sarah Tilling, strategic lead for the voluntary sector with Active Cheshire, added: “It’s important we continue to create greater links between the community sports system and educational institutions."

“Warrington Wolves have been really engaging with both the schools and the pupils and have already reported club attendances have increased as a result of the programme.”