Our Heritage

Our Heritage

The Handball Foundation grew out of Trafford Handball Club, founded in 2018 with just five participants and a vision to bring handball to Greater Manchester. Within a few short years it had grown into a thriving community of over 100 members, and in 2023 the Handball Foundation was established as a registered charity (No. 1205687) to expand this work across the region.

But our story sits within a much longer handball history in the North West — one we are proud to honour and build upon.

Handball Heritage in Greater Manchester & the North West

The North West has a rich handball history. Clubs across the region have contributed to the development of the sport over the decades:

• North East Manchester (NEM) Hawks — multiple-time women’s and men’s national league and cup winners
• Manchester HC — active in the Super 8 / First Division through the 2010s
• Warrington Wolves — multiple-time league and cup winners
• Salford — multiple-time league and cup winners
• Haslingden — a long-standing contributor to handball in the region
• Deva Handball Club — great youth development, producing national team players
• Peninsula — a strong youth set-up for both boys and girls
• Trafford HC — our affiliated community club, est. 2018
• Leeds HC — active in the Super 8 / First Division through the 2010s

The Handball Foundation honours this heritage while building on it for future generations.

Handball Trailblazers

We want to celebrate the individuals who have done great work for the sport in the North. People including:

• Sue Whitehead — NEM Hawks, and GB women’s team manager
• Bill Baillie — coach for multiple GB age groups, multiple senior-level titles, and experienced in youth development
• Donna Hankinson — the female coach with the most national titles; NEM Hawks men’s and women’s head coach
• Kristian Marsh — former Warrington Wolves chairman, GB Handball management experience, and a referee for over ten years in English handball