Guernsey Netball secures another year of sponsorship from EY for Year 7-9 programme

Due to the success of the first year the programme, which originally started with school year 7s and 8s participating, has now grown to include year 9s too. EY is set to sponsor the youth netball programme for another year which supports the continues growth ambitions for the GNA.

Following a great uptake last season and positive feedback from children and parents, we are pleased to welcome back the EY GNA Youth Netball Programme for its second season. Around 50 players from school years 7-9 have already registered for the 2023-24 season. There are so many young people in Guernsey who love playing netball, so the GNA thank EY for their ongoing support, providing the opportunity to play more netball and welcome even more people into the sport.

The programme features sessions on a Monday evening and in addition to this we hope to introduce more opportunities for friendly match play and fun tournaments throughout the season. Many of the children who participated last year have now gone on to play club netball, which is really great to see. To further support this transition from our community programmes into club netball setup, some players from the programme (predominantly those in Year 9) will get to play league matches under the EY banner. EY will also support the GNA U13 Schools mixed netball tournament again this year.

There are a wonderful team of paid and volunteer coaches who help facilitate the programme and create an environment where children can learn new skills, build new friendships and have fun playing netball. Regardless of their previous netball experience, everyone is welcome so if you would like to sign up, please contact info@guernseynetball.gg.

Anita Kilby, Chair of the GNA, said: “We are delighted to have EY invest in Guernsey Netball, the invaluable sponsorship allows us to support even more players and continue to drive the engagement up here in Guernsey. Thanks to all at EY for the belief and investment in our community.”

Fiona Morton, Assurance Partner at EY, explains why EY are continuing to support the GNA Youth Netball Programme, and why programmes such as these are crucial to the development of future generations:

“We are delighted to be continuing our support of the GNA Youth Netball Programme. It was great to see so many children taking part in the first year, building new skills and watching their confidence grow as the season progressed.

“A recent survey commissioned by EY found that 94% of women in senior leadership positions had played sports either at primary and secondary school, or during university or other tertiary education. It’s clear that the skills learned through sport, including strong communication, teamwork, and mental resilience, transfer directly to life off the playing court. By supporting the GNA with growing the programme further, we hope to be able to offer even more participants the opportunity to experience and enjoy netball and develop the core soft skills which can be transferred into their everyday lives.”

Anyone wanting to get involved in netball or find out more about becoming a coach or an umpire should contact Guernsey Netball - info@guernseynetball.gg

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