Stockton Netball Club has been helping ladies in the village and surrounding area keep fit and enjoy sport for more than five decades – and it has gone from strength to strength in recent years!
The club has doubled its senior teams over the last decade from three to six and has also introduced a ‘Back to Netball’ team for older netball enthusiasts who want to get back into the sport. It also runs a number of junior teams to develop grassroots netball in the area, with its various teams training every Tuesday at courts in Stockton and Bishop’s Itchington, before playing in the Coventry and Warwickshire leagues on Saturdays.
With the number of players increasing to more than 70, the club applied to The Wigley Community Fund for help purchasing additional equipment to continue its growth, scoring itself a £913 grant.
Steph Brown, who has been part of the club for the past 14 years, said, ‘The club is funded by raising money ourselves through things like family fun days in the summer, bingo nights and Christmas raffles, so the support from The Wigley Community Fund will make a big difference. As we’ve grown over the years and added more teams, we have required more equipment, especially now we’ve split our training sessions across two different sites. This grant will help us purchase new kit such as rebound equipment to help hone our skills, new posts, foam post protectors and bibs.’
Although the netball league season runs between October and April, the club holds training sessions all year round. Steph added, ‘It is for women of all ages and abilities, who are new to the sport or who have done it before. It’s a great way to socialise and meet new friends too.’
To find out more about the club, visit www.facebook.com/StocktonFCCC.