Gainsborough woman's New Year Honour for helping to transform volleyball

Janet Inman, aged 60, from Laughterton, has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the New Year Honours List for her volunteer work.

Janet started volunteering from a young age while still at school as part of her Duke of Edinburgh award. She continued volunteering and became a sports coach while in the sixth form and at college.

It was shortly after this that Janet developed one of her main passions in life – volleyball. In 1979 she became a coach and went on to be a representative on the Lincolnshire Volleyball Association, followed by the role of chairman which she held for 21 years.

Janet said: “I’m both surprised and honoured to be recognised. The award is really shared across the teams I have worked with over the years. Volunteering is never something you do alone, it’s being part of a team that has always appealed to me and I would like to thank all those who have shared this journey with me.”

She was also the coach, referee, tutor and team manager for the National Central Girls Cadets team, lead welfare officer for volleyball for more than 15 years, chairman of the East Midlands Volleyball Association for 12 years, and a member of Volleyball England’s board for 14 years. In 2012, Janet was a Games Maker at the London Olympics, working as a manager in the team that delivered the beach volleyball event at Horse Guards Parade.