Netball Scotland launches Campaign to take sport outdoors – #NetsGoOutdoors
1st October 2020
Netball in Scotland has been on the rise since the SSE Hydro played host to a sell out crowd for the Glasgow 2014 Netball Finals. Reporting the biggest growth in membership across all Scottish sports following the Glasgow Games, Netball has continued to go from strength to strength now supporting almost 250 Junior and Senior Clubs across the country and delivering over half a million netball sessions in schools to young people. Having risen to 8th in the International world rankings, with aspirations to host the Netball World Cup in the future, now having the nation’s biggest pro women’s sports Club, the Strathclyde Sirens (competing in the UK wide Sky Sports televised Vitality Netball Superleague), and delivering powerful community impact programmes to thousands of women and girls, Netball Scotland leads the way in changing the game for women’s sport in Scotland, and is recognised as one of the most passionate and pioneering SGBs in Scotland today.
However, as an indoor team contact sport Netball Scotland is feeling the bitter sting of COVID as sports hall access has almost completely disappeared for Clubs and Members meaning that the sport is in real danger of losing all the progress that has been made to date – and for a women’s sport that could be devastating. Netball Scotland remains unequivocally committed to protecting member and public safety, and is wholly committed to supporting the Government’s efforts to suppress the spread of the virus, but we cannot and must not lose our sport, or momentum, in the process.
So, to #SaveNetball and provide a safe place for the sport’s thousands of members, fans and participants to get together with their friends and teammates and return to a #NetballReady training environment, Netball Scotland is looking for outdoor space. Space that can accommodate a Club or team to re-introduce training, skills sessions and the launch of our modified game to their members who have been off court and away from netball since the start of lockdown in March. Ideally the space will be court sized – 30.5m x 15.25m – but as long as it is outdoors and allows for a safe and compliant session then we will make it work. Netball Scotland will provide netball posts where necessary and has all the expertise and resource to ensure that a return to netball can be done safely and with confidence. We just need the space – a car park, unused courts or pitches, business or industrial land, school land, fields…let’s get creative and #NetsGoOutdoors.
CEO of Netball Scotland, Claire Nelson said: “This campaign is about more than just netball. It’s about supporting our communities, recognising the important role that sport plays in improving mental and physical health – particularly in women and girls – and being active in protecting the fabric of our society from further and longer term impact of COVID. This is a chance for businesses, local authorities and individuals to make a huge difference by doing a relatively small thing – by just giving our Clubs and Members access to some outdoor space to help get them back up and running. After such a difficult year, the gift of kindness is an incredibly powerful gesture, and the gift of outdoor space to Netball Scotland right now will mean that we can protect the future of our sport for the generations to come.”
Debbie Hallas, Managing Director, of Netball UK will be supporting Netball Scotland to supply any necessary netball posts and equipment to help get Clubs back to netball.
She said: “Netball UK is a team of netballers with players and coaches who live and breathe the sport. We know how much everyone has been missing the sport we love, because we’re exactly the same. We need to #SaveNetball and we know everyone will want to get back on court – any court – when they can. We’re proud to be able to play a small part in that and support Netball Scotland’s efforts to #NetsGoOutdoors.”
If you think you can help, please contact your local Regional Development Manager with details of outdoor spaces in your area:
East RDM: Craig Smith
Email: Craig.Smith@netballscotland.com
Mobile: 07769998083
The East region encompasses the local authorities of: City of Edinburgh – East Lothian – Fife – Mid Lothian – Perth & Kinross – West Lothian – Scottish Borders – Dumfries & Galloway
North East RDM: Caroline Walker
Email: Caroline.Walker@netballscotland.com
Mobile: 07584135694
The North East region encompasses the local authorities of: Aberdeen City – Aberdeenshire – Angus – Dundee – Moray – Orkney & Shetland – East Ayrshire- South Ayrshire – Glasgow – Inverclyde
West Central RDM: Ross Hutton
Email: Ross.Hutton@netballscotland.com
Mobile: 07584038594
The West Central region encompasses the local authorities of: Argyll & Bute – Clackmannanshire – East Dunbartonshire – East Renfrewshire – Falkirk – Renfrewshire – Stirling – West Dunbartonshire – North Lanarkshire – South Lanarkshire
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