Netball Line Markings: Volunteers Net the Win

The South West Regional Goalden Globe Award doesn’t just see us celebrate those winners within the 9 categories, it celebrates all the nominees and volunteers in netball. This year’s awards did not disappoint and the winners received their honours on Sunday 20^th April at Taunton School in front of 70 people, including Team Beth and Severn Stars Players.

Here we meet the nine winners and find out what makes them so deserving – in the words of the people who nominated them:

Grassroots Coach Award: Emma Isaac

Emma is a well-respected coach within Bath Cougars. She has sourced several pots of funding which has allowed her to mentor 5 new coaches and several umpires to allow them to succeed. She ensures that they are able to gain the training they need within sessions to allow all individuals to grow. Emma strives to be the best she can be by developing her own coaching pathway which has allowed her to have a big impact on the coaching that her club receives.

Nominees: Kathryn Walker, Helen Glasgow and Angela Rimmer

Grassroots Officials Award: Claire Daly

Claire is an active umpire, umpire assessor, umpire mentor and table official holding a variety of qualifications that have helped her through the officiating pathway to become an A Award umpire. Claire is always willing to offer support and to umpires who are starting out on their umpiring journey and especially to those who are willing to progress from B – A in both the written and practical. Claire’s own umpiring involves fully supporting the local region and counties whenever possible by umpiring Regional games in Divisions 1 – 3 and at Regional Schools.

Nominees: Bethany Pearce

Mary Bulloch Administrator Award: Rebecca Calver

Becci is a valued member of the Winterbourne Netball Club who supports others wishing to work through the officiating and coaching pathways, giving up her time to help them towards their award. As a founding member of the club and Club Secretary she keeps all other club volunteers and members informed and up to date on the club’s commitments and activities. She also ensures that the relevant workforce is in the right place at the right time and organise’s the club’s umpiring duties, ensuring the club fulfills its league commitments and regularly umpires herself.

Nominees: Deena Ritchie, Lin Oldham

Muriel McNally Award: Erica Davies

Erica is a respected member to the Team Bath Committee where she supports all committee members in whatever way possible and her input and knowledge is always highly valued. She closely supports the 8 coaches in the junior section of the club, mentoring those working towards qualifications, being on hand to offer advice and is always the first to offer cover when it’s requires. Erica has for two decades, committed her time, energy and experience to ensuring the next generation have the opportunity to experience junior club netball and go on to take that love with them to university/college etc.and come back again to the club.

Nominees: Pauline Passmore, Trudie Proctor, Diane Arrandale, Lin Oldham, Gina Pearce and Val Sanders

Outstanding Netball Club: Taunton Netball Club

Taunton Netball Club supports all aspiring coaches and umpires to attend a coaching or umpiring course and ensuring that they have any equipment needed to do so. Our entire club committee (including sub-committees) is run by volunteers; players and ex-players who give up their time to work in the background ensuring that the club runs smoothly. The club has continued with our High 5 Sessions where there are 15 girls who attend including a mix of current and new players. Three girls have transitioned to juniors which shows the strong pathways between the teams.

Nominees: Exeter Netball Club

Teacher Award: Angela Walker

Angela is a very respected and experienced teacher who has helped to encourage and support netball. She not only develops the elite level players but she is keen to ensure all players have an opportunity to enjoy the sport. She has used her own personal drive to work towards her C assessment and work with coaches so that she can improve her own technical knowledge when running a young volunteer programme at her school. She goes out of her way to provide competitive netball opportunities where she organised a Year 7 friendly tournament with local schools making sure that all the officials were young volunteers – scorers, timekeepers and umpires.

Unsung Hero Award: Sarah Powlesland

Sarah is one of the founding members of Bodmin Netball Club and her contribution to the club has been outstanding. Sarah has helped the club to grow by offering support and guidance to all volunteers. She is constantly on hand to answer questions, provide information or just offer a supportive ear. Sarah would say she is a small drop in a massive ocean; what she does not realise is that her one small drop has created a ripple effect which has inspired others and created opportunities for hundreds of individuals to participate in the sport she loves.

Nominees: Denise Legg, Tracey Phillips, Linda Smith, Trudie Proctor, Tracey Woodrow

Young Volunteer Award: Imogen Barry

Imogen is an outstanding young individual who supports around 25 members for the junior section of TBirds Netball Club where she actively coaches and represents the juniors. Immy leads by example and has inspired many juniors to transition from school netball to club netball since the Club started a new junior section only 18-months ago. She has had a positive impact in helping new players feel welcome, the administration and management of junior training sessions along with the session content working alongside the lead coach in junior training sessions.

Inclusion and Diversity Award: Wiltshire Council – Walking Netball Hosts

Walking netball has become a massive part of Wiltshire Councils sport ethos. They have implemented five regular walking netball sessions across the county, all run by dedicated volunteer hosts. The seven ladies, who all started as walking netball participants have become hosts of the weekly sessions ensuring sustainability, long term positive impacts and community ownership of the walking netball programme. Each host has different personality traits that make them excellent hosts in their own way, but all have an inspirational quality and skill to create a safe and friendly environment that keep the participants coming back each week.

Heather Crouch Award

This award is selected from the winners of the other 8 categories and presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to netball in the South West.

Winner: Rebecca Calver

National Goalden Globe Nominees

Karen Jones and Val Sanders have both been nominated for the Long Service Award at the National Goalden Globes. Karen and Val have both been long standing members of their respective committees and their work has not gone unnoticed. The knowledge and experience they bring have managed to bring a professional outlook to an organisation that is managed by volunteers, which has been invaluable to both the region and counties.