About Us

Our Story

The Handball Foundation (Registered Charity No. 1205687) was born out of a passion for growing handball in Greater Manchester. In 2018, Stanislaw Belinski founded Trafford Handball Club with just 5 participants and the support of England Handball’s Andy Clark. Within a year, the boys U14 team had won the England Handball National Championship.

As the club grew to over 120 members, the Handball Foundation was established as a registered charity in 2023 to formalise and expand the community development work. Today, the Foundation supports over 2,000 players annually across 12+ Handball Hub Schools.

Why We Exist

Handball remains one of the least-known team sports in England, yet it offers incredible benefits — physical fitness, teamwork, coordination, and social connection. In Greater Manchester, there is huge potential to grow the sport, particularly in underserved communities where access to diverse sporting opportunities is limited. The Handball Foundation exists to unlock that potential.

What We Do

We deliver handball programmes in schools, run community hubs, develop coaches, and provide a pathway from first touch to competitive play through Trafford Handball Club. In 2022, the club sent two teams to the Partille Cup in Sweden, one of the world’s largest youth handball tournaments. In 2024, Manchester and Trafford clubs trialled a merger in the Men’s Premier Handball League North.

Our Approach

Everything we do is rooted in community. We listen to the people we serve, adapt our programmes to local needs, and measure our impact to ensure we are making a real difference. Our coaches are fully qualified and DBS-checked, and safeguarding is at the heart of our operations.

Governance

The Handball Foundation is governed by a board of five trustees who volunteer their time to oversee the charity’s strategy, finances, and operations. No trustees receive any remuneration from the charity.