Groundbreaking partnership between the Netball Association and Metropolitan Police celebrates the recognition of the London Sport Award

A pioneering partnership between the London & South East Regional Netball Association and the Metropolitan Police to give young girls at risk of entering the justice system a taste of netball has been nominated for a prestigious London Sport Award.

Community is at the heart of the Croydon Project, which was nominated for the Uniting London Award in partnership with Sport England.

It provides London women who have met the police in some form or another a safe space to play netball and develop on and off the pitch.

In partnership with England Netball, as part of a one-year program that begins in January after a successful pilot day in June and a trial lesson in October, girls have the opportunity to interact with elite players and watch international games in addition to playing themselves. .

We celebrate those who use sport to build cohesive communities and bring people together👏👏

The Uniting London Award, in collaboration with @Sport_England: @ NetballLondonSE / @ metpoliceuk @ MovementWorksEd @ rathboneabc

Your Stories➡https: //t.co/lAyB9Qsetj#LondonSportAwards pic.twitter.com/n1nY3ft8g8

– London Sport (@LondonSport) November 22, 2021

“The Met reached out to us because they really knew there weren’t a lot of supplies for girls in the area – there’s lots of sport for boys but not that much for girls,” said Lucy Goodman, 30 , London and the South East Regional Coordinator for England Netball.

“We introduce girls to netball and combine it with a mix of police-centric activities in a safe and inclusive environment for young girls, empowering them to live out the skills and attributes that netball embodies both on and off the pitch.

“Projects like this are incredibly important, they are women-centered and a safe place for young girls at risk of breaking into the justice system or corridor maintenance – it’s something special for them.

“We want to offer them positive activities that they can bring their energy to and the opportunity to befriend girls with very different and diverse life experiences and to work decisively on breaking down barriers between the Metropolitan Police and young girls. ”

For the past five years, the annual London Sport Awards, in partnership with the City of London Corporation, has grown to be the city’s biggest grassroots and community celebration of physical activity and sport.

And this year’s flagship event will once again recognize, celebrate and shed light on the stories of incredible individuals, groups and organizations for their outstanding work in the capital helping Londoners of all ages and backgrounds to be physically active.

The overwhelmingly positive feedback from the pilot event earlier this year kicked off the exciting new partnership, with 94 percent of attendees saying they wanted to keep playing netball and 100 percent saying their experience with the police at the event was positive.

“The key factor in putting this project together was building trust in the police, which is something I really care about as a youth officer,” added PC Emma Simms, 33, who will find out if they will win the eagerly – expected awards ceremony at the historic Guildhall on December 6th.

We are happy to announce that our latest project in collaboration with @metpoliceuk has been nominated for a @LondonSport Award in the “Uniting London” category 🥳 pic.twitter.com/sM26LoNwHK

– NetballLondonSE (@NetballLondonSE) August 13, 2021

“It is important to come together with the police as a community to provide young girls with a fun experience.

“Many of the officers take part in training and games and can all play together.

“It was great to be nominated for the award and to be recognized for something that we created for these young people.”

16-year-old Coulsdon College student Paige Brown is a huge fan of the netball sessions and believes many of the girls thrive in the all-woman atmosphere.

“Since it’s only girls, sometimes some women feel, ‘Oh, guys are here, I have to behave a certain way, or dress a certain way,’ or just feel uncomfortable at all,” she said.

“So when it’s all about women and your own gender, you feel a lot more comfortable and willing to go along with it, and you don’t have to worry or feel judged like that.”

The London Sport Awards, in partnership with the City of London Corporation, put the spotlight on the unsung community heroes who help Londoners of all backgrounds enjoy the benefits of physical activity and sport. Find out more about the awards and how London Sport aims to make London the most physically active city in the world at www.londonsport.org #MakeYourMark