A group of England Netball coaches in East Lindsey have recently boosted their skills and confidence thanks to an Emergency First Aid at Work course. The course was funded by the Active Lincolnshire Skills Fund, which was made possible through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This training, delivered by LIVES, is set to make a significant impact on the delivery of Walking Netball sessions across the East Coast, where England Netball has been instrumental in establishing new programmes.

Walking Netball, a slower-paced version of the game, is increasingly popular with older adults and those looking for a less strenuous way to stay active. Recognising this growing interest, England Netball has been working to establish Walking Netball sessions across Lincolnshire's East Coast. After talking part as participants and falling in love with the game, a number of local ladies were keen to train as Walking Netball Coaches to be able to lead these sessions within their communities.

England Netball trained the ladies to deliver walking Netball and provided them with the correct equipment. However, to be able to lead an England Netball session independently, these coaches needed to obtain a First Aid qualification. Having identified a need for such a course to be held within the coastal East Lindsey area, arrangements were made with LIVES to deliver a course with the support of the Active Lincolnshire Skills Fund. The coaches are unanimous in their praise for the initiative and encourage others to take advantage of similar opportunities.

Walking Netball Coach Gill Wright commented:

"The First Aid course has been excellent from start to finish," "I will be presenting my walking netball with confidence that should we have an issue I can help those around me and keep the session going safely”. This opportunity has been so valuable. I am really grateful to have been able to access such an excellent First Aid course locally to gain a qualification that I needed to enable me to deliver the Walking Netball sessions."

The newly qualified coaches are already putting their new skills to good use, running Walking Netball programmes in their local communities. Active Lincolnshire, Skills Manager Laura Spurr commented:

"This is fantastic for the community, as Walking Netball provides not only physical benefits but also social interaction and mental well-being. Enabling people to deliver sessions in the areas they live or work is crucial for the continued growth of the sport"

This story highlights the positive impact of community-focused training programmes like the Active Lincolnshire Skills Fund, made possible by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Find out more about walking netball

Find out more about Walking Netball on the England Netball website. To find out about walking netball in Lincolnshire, and enquire about sessions near you contact Louise Key by emailing louise.key@englandnetball.co.uk

Find out more about First Aid training with LIVES

Find out more about how LIVES work with organisations and businesses throughout Lincolnshire and beyond. Teaching people how to react in a spectrum of emergency situations. From treating a physical injury, to providing rapid interventions to an individual in a life-threatening condition or mental crisis discover more about training on their website https://training.lives.org.uk Or enquire about training by emailing Rosie Marshall rmarshall@lives.org.uk

More training courses and helpful resources for those working in sport and physical activity in Lincolnshire can be found on the Active Skills Hub.