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14 Mar 2026
Harron Homes Yorkshire has donated £500 to Driffield Karate Academy, a small East Riding club preparing to defend five championship titles at the 2026 Karate World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
The rural academy trains just a short walk from Harron Homes' Chariot's Keep development in Wetwang and has built a reputation far beyond its village surroundings.
The club aims to be as inclusive as possible, adapting the sport of Karate to a variety of needs. Currently, its members include a legally blind fighter and a black belt living with osteomalacia, a disease causing soft, weak bones.
Founded in 1999 by fifth dan black belt and instructor Karen Turner, Driffield Karate Academy has grown over the past 25 years into a thriving community hub. The club now has around 40 members, with students ranging from aged six to sixty. It also boasts an impressive 16 National, European and World champions.
Affiliated with the English Karate Alliance and the World Karate Confederation, the Academy is currently fundraising to support its team's return to the World Championships in Serbia. There, they will attempt to defend titles won at last year's event in Sheffield, including five gold medals.
With entry fees and travel costs expected to exceed £8,000, community support is vital to ensure as many students as possible can compete.
Karen Turner, founder of Driffield Karate Academy, said, “We're keen to defend the titles we've worked so hard for. We're a small club in a part of Yorkshire that many people wouldn't expect to produce world champions. Training in a village hall in the East Riding is something we're very proud of, and we're determined to keep pushing ourselves.”
The club trains weekly at Driffield Leisure Centre and Wetwang Village Hall, which sits immediately beside Chariot's Keep, making the Academy a familiar and valued neighbour for many local residents.
Several black belts at the club have specialist coaching experience supporting visually impaired athletes, enabling the club to adapt its syllabus for students who are registered blind. This approach reflects the Academy's wider philosophy of inclusion, ensuring that dedication and effort, rather than circumstance, define opportunity.
Karen Turner added: “We welcome anyone who's willing to turn up and train seriously. As a small rural club, we don't have access to major funding, but we work to the highest standards. We are accredited by East Riding Council and the Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts, ensuring we follow current best practice. Support from local partners like Harron Homes makes a real difference, particularly when we're trying to give our students the chance to compete on the world stage.”
Lucinda Dickens, Sales and Marketing Director for Harron Homes Yorkshire, said: “Community spirit is a defining feature of life in the Yorkshire Wolds, and Driffield Karate Academy embodies that perfectly. Their commitment, inclusivity and outstanding achievements make them a fantastic asset to the area. With Chariot's Keep located right next door to their training base, we're delighted to support a club that contributes so much to local life.”
Chariot's Keep is a stunning East Yorkshire development offering two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes in the heart of the Wolds countryside, close to Driffield's walking routes, wildlife reserves, pubs and cafés. Prices start from £250,000 and the sales team can be reached on 01377 310707.
For more information on Chariot's Keep, visit:
https://www.harronhomes.com/find-a-home/east-yorkshire/chariots-keep/.
https://www.harronhomes.com/find-a-home/east-yorkshire/chariots-keep/.
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Harron Homes was founded in Yorkshire in 1993. Now, it builds quality homes in handpicked locations across Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire from its two regional offices in Leeds and Barlborough.
For press information contact: Nick Rowley and Connor Little on 0116 247 1777 or email harronpr@unsworthsugden.co.uk.