AFK Beach returned for 2026, bringing together some of our longest-standing supporters for another day of competition, fundraising and beach volleyball, this time at SideOut in Leyton.
The event has come a long way since the first AFK Beach in 2009, when 60 tonnes of sand were brought into Broadgate Circle to create a beach volleyball court in the middle of the City. What started with 10 teams grew into a major annual event at Canary Wharf, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds and giving schoolchildren, community groups, corporate teams and even Olympians and Paralympians the chance to take to the sand.
For 2026, we brought AFK Beach back to its roots with a smaller tournament and an incredibly loyal group of supporters. All of the corporate teams taking part were returning teams, with EY Parthenon continuing an extraordinary record of having supported AFK Beach every year since the very first event.
Eight teams competed throughout the day, with EY Parthenon 1 taking the 2026 title after a closely fought 2–1 final against Accenture 2.
There was an AFK team on court too, including two young people supported by the charity. The event also created opportunities away from the competition, with Devalle and Leon, both of whom have been supported by AFK, taking on paid roles as part of the event team.
Most importantly, AFK Beach 2026 raised an amazing £13,000 to support disabled children and young people. That takes the amount raised through AFK Beach over the years to more than three quarters of a million pounds.
Lyn Prodger, AFK’s Corporate Partnerships Manager, said: “A huge thank you to every team that came back to support us, to SideOut for hosting us in Leyton, and to Soffritto for keeping everyone well fed throughout the day. Thank you too to everyone who played, fundraised, volunteered and helped make AFK Beach 2026 happen.
“After all these years, AFK Beach continues to show just how much impact a loyal group of people can make when they get together on the sand for a good cause.”
Katie Cavanagh, AFK Interim CEO, added: “AFK Beach has such a special place in our history, and it was brilliant to see it return in 2026. The loyalty of the teams who come back year after year means so much to us, particularly those who have supported the event since the very beginning. Raising £13,000 this year, and more than £750,000 over the life of AFK Beach, is an incredible achievement.
“A huge thank you as well to the AFK staff team who worked so hard behind the scenes and on the day to make the event happen. It was a real team effort, and we couldn’t have done it without them.”
Fancy joining us next year? Whether you’re a returning team or completely new to AFK Beach, we’d love to hear from you. Get your colleagues together, take on the sand and help us make AFK Beach 2027 another brilliant day of volleyball, fundraising and support for disabled and neurodivergent children and young people.