Netball Scotland COVID-19 Update – A letter from our CEO
19th May 2020
Dear Netball Scotland Family,
What strange and uncertain times we have found ourselves in. Not for one second did I think that this would be how 2020 would unfold, but with every week that passes I continue to be inspired by the strength, resilience and spirit of our amazing community of members, players, fans and volunteers. I am also overwhelmed with gratitude to every single person who has responsibly followed the Government guidelines and safety advice of Staying Home, and I know you will all continue to do whatever it takes for us to protect ourselves, and each other.
To those of you who are experiencing the difficult and often cruel impact of this pandemic, from everyone here at Netball Scotland, we send you our love. Please stay strong and reach out to whoever you can for the help and support you may need. Together we will all get through this.
And to our youngest members, I know how hard these past 8 weeks have been for you away from school, your friends and loved ones, and our beloved sport. But it is so important that you keep up the amazing work you’re doing, and we promise to keep creating fun activities for you to do at home to keep you busy and entertained.
Here at Netball Scotland we have remained operational throughout this period of lockdown, having mobilised quickly and efficiently into a remote workforce within days of the first Government announcement advising businesses to work from home where possible. Our initial efforts were focussed on stabilising the business, reacting to the immediate impact and providing clear and practical member communications. Since then we have adapted the business to deliver a comprehensive programme of digital content which offers help, advice, education, support, connectivity and entertainment to all of our members and fans across the country, whatever your age or ability. We have teamed up with our Partners to bring you Financial advice and to signpost you to appropriate helplines and charitable organisations should you be struggling in these current conditions. We have created buddy programmes, home workouts, challenges and activities for children of all ages, as well as shared tips, skills and drills to keep all players active and ready to take back to court. Our Education and Regional Development Teams have also delivered a fantastic suite of webinars and workshops for our Clubs and Volunteers, and our Strathclyde Sirens athletes have even been busy creating their very own Tik Tok account to offer some light relief! We hope that you have enjoyed what we have produced so far, and the Team is working tirelessly behind the scenes to continue to create new and engaging content to see us through the coming weeks and months. You can find a rundown of everything on offer here!
Unfortunately, due to the latest Government announcement and the ongoing guidelines around physical distancing, it is impossible for us to be able to conclude our 2019/20 domestic season and we will be extending the suspension of all Netball Scotland activity until the 31st July 2020. A full update on all our competitions, events and education calendar can be accessed here. We have also made the difficult decision to cancel the scheduled Netball Europe Open Competition at the end of August.
Moving forward, it is hard to plan for the future when it is still so unknown, however, the reality is that we foresee a long and challenging road ahead of us. Right now, we are continuing to monitor and adapt to the rapidly evolving situation whilst working hard to mitigate the potentially significant financial impact on the business. The incredible Netball Scotland staff, who themselves are also dealing with the personal effects of this crisis, are working non-stop on strategies that we hope will enable the sport to emerge from this pandemic in the strongest position possible. They have remained positive, innovative and relentlessly committed to doing what is best for this sport and its people, and I am beyond grateful to each and every one of them.
These are unprecedented times and we will not be left unscathed. But, I have never felt more connected to every single member of our sport, and am so proud of how our Netball Family has come together with love and kindness to support one another and try to keep netball thriving – albeit in the most wonderfully new and inventive ways! It is because of YOU, our members, players, fans, volunteers, staff and partners, that I know that we will get through this and when it is finally safe for us to get back out on court we are going to need to show up for netball more than ever. So, stay safe, stay connected and continue being your brilliant, creative, inspiring selves!
Together we will continue to #SucceedAsATeam
Claire Nelson
CEO Netball Scotland and Strathclyde Sirens
