“Volunteering enabled me to help other women discover their love of netball”
SARAH-JANE WALKER, 45, IS A GLOBAL HR DIRECTOR. SHE LIVES IN NEWCASTLE-UPONTYNE WITH HER HUSBAND TARQUIN, 45, AND THEIR DAUGHTER DAISY, EIGHT. SHE SAYS:
I’VE PLAYED NETBALL ON AND OFF ALL MY LIFE, SINCE TAKING IT UP WHEN I WAS AT SCHOOL, BUT I NEVER IMAGINED MY LOVE FOR IT WOULD ONE DAY LEAD TO ME BECOMING A VOLUNTEER.
THREE YEARS AGO, A COMMUNITY CENTRE WITH OUTSIDE COURTS OPENED IN MY LOCAL AREA AND A FRIEND SUGGESTED WE USE
ONE OF THEM FOR THE ODD GAME OF NETBALL WITH OTHER SCHOOL MUMS. IT WAS ONLY
EVER MEANT TO BE A WAY TO KEEP FIT, HAVE SOME FUN AND A SOCIAL OUTLET FOR US ALL.
IT BEGAN WITH AROUND TEN OF US BUT
AFTER WE POSTED ON THE CENTRE’S
FACEBOOK PAGE, AND THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH, NUMBERS BEGAN TO SWELL, AND MORE AND MORE WOMEN, AGED FROM
16 UP TO MID-FORTIES, BEGAN TO SHOW UP.
I REALISED WE HAD HIT ON SOMETHING – THERE WAS A REAL DESIRE AMONG LOCAL WOMEN TO PLAY AS PART OF A TEAM AND KEEP ACTIVE. ALMOST BY ACCIDENT WE HAD FORMED A CLUB, BUT WE NEEDED HELP TO MAKE IT MORE ORGANISED AND FULFIL ITS POTENTIAL.
I CONTACTED ENGLAND NETBALL, WHO RUN A BACK TO NETBALL PROGRAMME, AND THEY PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH ONE OF THEIR NETBALL DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COACHES, WHO HELPED US ENTER SMALL TOURNAMENTS.
I BECAME AN AMBASSADOR, ALONG
WITH OTHER MEMBERS, AND WE BECAME VOLUNTEERS RUNNING THE CLUB – DOING EVERYTHING FROM TAKING TRAINING SESSIONS, MANAGING THE ACCOUNTS AND MEMBERSHIP FEES, AND ARRANGING SOCIAL EVENTS.
NOW WE HAVE 80 MEMBERS WHO
MAKE UP FOUR ADULT TEAMS AND ONE UNDER-11 SIDE. SINCE NETBALL WAS PLAYED AT THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN 2014, IT’S HAD A RESURGENCE IN POPULARITY.
EVERY MONDAY NIGHT I TAKE THE SPORT ENGLAND-FUNDED, BACK TO NETBALL SESSION, WHICH IS FOR WOMEN WHO WANT TO TAKE UP THE SPORT AGAIN. I’M ALSO IN CHARGE OF THE UNDER-11S TEAM, ALONG WITH PLAYING MYSELF.
I GIVE ABOUT FOUR HOURS A WEEK TO MY VOLUNTEERING ROLE AND HAVE JUST BEEN AWARDED VOLUNTEER OF THE MOMENT FROM NORTH EAST NETBALL.
IT’S SO SATISFYING SEEING WOMEN’S FITNESS IMPROVE, WHILE THEY’RE HAVING FUN AND FORGING FRIENDSHIPS, AND KNOWING
I’VE PLAYED A PART IN THAT.
FOR NETBALL OPPORTUNITIES NEAR YOU
SEE ENGLANDNETBALL.CO.UK, WELSHNETBALL. CO.UK OR NETBALLSCOTLAND.COM