Volleyball England opened the doors to the new National Volleyball Centre in Kettering on Saturday.

The centre, which has been funded by local councils and development agencies, will serve as an additional training facility for all the British volleyball sides in the build up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.

With the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield currently serving as the base for the Great Britain indoor sides, the new facility will provide a base for England squads of all ages and disciplines, as well as the Great Britain sitting squad.

It has been built with a view to hosting further training and competition facilities for junior, cadet and sitting sides.

Lisa Wainwright, the chief executive of Volleyball England, said: "I know the centre will provide a fantastic base for our England squads and also the GB Sitting Programme and I particularly look forward to seeing our major events being hosted in Kettering."