Bumper opportunities to play netball in the Vale

Published 06 February 2012

Budding netball players of all ages now have even more chances to take up the sport in the Vale of Glamorgan after two local clubs netted a funding boost thanks to the Community Chest scheme.

Photo: Ladies from the Penarth Vets Netball Club celebrate their Community Chest funding with the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism Cllr Anthony Ernest, and the council’s sports and play development manager Karen Davies (front right).

Ladies over 40 are invited to rekindle their passion for the game by getting involved with the newly-formed Penarth Vets Netball Club, while junior players are welcomed at the Codeworks Westend Ladies Netball Club in Barry.

Both clubs were chosen as worthy recipients of funding in the latest round of Community Chest grant awards in the scheme that is run locally by the Vale of Glamorgan Council and agreed by a panel of volunteers with support from Sport Wales.

The scheme offers sports clubs and organisations grants of up to £1,500 which can be used to help people of all ages take part in exercise on a regular basis.

The Penarth Vets Netball Club has been helped to get up and running thanks to a £355.89 grant, and ladies who would like to join the team are invited to the club’s training sessions every Tuesday from 8pm to 9pm at the Ysgol Pen-y-Garth sports hall.

The Codeworks Westend Ladies Netball Club was awarded £1,395 to assist with the setting up of a new junior section and also to send club coaches on a number of courses. The club was only set up three years ago, and player Leigh-Anne Jones feels that attracting more junior players will be key to the club’s expansion, saying: “The Community Chest grant will enable us to develop our skills and knowledge individually, as a team, and as a club. The grant will help us to grow as a club and will open up new avenues for us.”

A third team on the lookout for new players is Llantwit Major Netball Club, which has also benefitted from Community Chest funding in recent years. Established 20 years ago, they are always keen to welcome additional young players aged 11 to 16 to attend their training sessions at Llantwit Major Leisure Centre every Wednesday evening between 6pm and 8pm.

Delighted with the way that the Community Chest scheme is helping netball thrive locally, the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism Cllr Anthony Ernest said: “The Community Chest scheme has helped so many sports clubs over more than a decade, investing thousands of pounds into grass-roots sport in the Vale of Glamorgan. It is great to see that the latest round of grant awards has enabled several local netball teams to expand and offer more opportunities for women of all ages to play the sport.”

If you are a member of sports club, organisation or workplace in the Vale of Glamorgan and would like to discuss a potential Community Chest application please contact the Vale Council’s sports and play development team on 01446 704748. Also please call the team or go visit our Sports and play development pages to get contact details for these and other netball clubs in the county.