December Organisation of the Month

Llantwit Fardre is a hub for community engagement, bringing together people within and outside of netball. They have organised multiple community events and offer a safe place for their members to connect and socialise. Due to their passion for creating a positive and inclusive experience for their members, they are our Organisation of the Month for December.

The club hosts over 200 junior and senior players, including mothers who play in the senior teams alongside their daughters, showcasing the club’s inclusive nature.  The club hosts teams from U6 to U16, with juniors playing in the Glamorgan Valleys Junior League, and senior teams across division 1, 3 and 4 of the A470 Adult League. Since covid, the club have organised a host of community events to bring the players and their local community together.

Quiz nights are currently held twice a year at the local sports club and is always full, with over 100 individuals attending each time. The last one hosted over 20 teams consisting of club members, their extended families and friends, and the local community. A raffle including a big cash prize is always to play for, although the winning team of the last quiz night donated the cash prize back to the club itself – showing to what high esteem the club is regarded. Band nights are also a part of their event calendar for adults, providing an opportunity for local bands to bring joy to a fully packed sports club. As well as these, they run two award nights in the summer.

The club also host an annual netball tour. Last June, they attended Brean Sands in Devon. Around seven teams joined with nearly 100 people attending, a mixture of players with their families and friends. The teams had mixed success at the tournament, but as usual for the coaches, they showed support to all girls and made sure that each player had plenty of game time, giving them a chance to grow in confidence and progress. The organisation for this tour was exceptional, with all caravans, lifts, kit and teams sorted in advance. The players had a fantastic experience and loved being presented with their trophies and medals from Eboni Usoro-Brown, an ex-England Rose

Rhian Morgan, both player and mother to a junior player, told us:

“I played for Llantwit when I was at school and in my early 20s. Now in my 40s, I came to the Back to Netball session in 2019 and haven’t looked back. Our fabulous coach Becky has given me so much confidence as well as making every session so much fun. My daughter also plays for the club and has grown so much in confidence over the years. Her coaches, Jodie, Ami, Jan, Ellie and Claire, are so positive, give excellent feedback and I’m always amazed at how much of their time they give to this fantastic club!”

Four teams from Llantwit Fardre were also voted ‘Fairest Club of the League’ in the most recent summer league with Umpires declaring “they go out of their way to listen properly and respect calls and decisions”. These fantastic impressions of the club extend to all, including parents of new players:

“I would like to feedback on the fantastic first impression created by the club as my 10-year-old daughter recently joined. The staff have been nothing short of fantastic, encouraging, supportive and with excellent organisation and communication. In the 3 months my daughter has been a member she has attended weekly training, often run by young coaches who are fantastic role models both on and off the court, played in games and was a mascot at a recent international game. She is also looking forward to a very well attended tour to Brean Sands next year. My daughter enjoys a variety of extra-curricular activities, but I have to say how impressed I am, on every level, with this club. For me, the experiences gained, and lessons learnt as a member of the club extend far beyond the court and I can already see a difference in her self-confidence and resilience.” – Kathryn Gwyn, Mum to Anni.

A big thank you to Llantwit Fardre Netball Club and their committee and coaches, for their commitment to providing exceptional experiences for their members both on and off the court! It is deservedly so making such a positive impact, and everyone should be proud of their contributions.

At the halfway point of every month, Wales Netball will announce its Organisation of the Month. An article will be displayed on our website and a post will be shared across all our social media channels.

If you would like to nominate an organisation involved in the Netball community, complete the nomination form using this link: https://forms.gle/9RxwRWndbCRX4fgCA