Delighted members of a growing Louth sporting club have reached new heights – winning a prestigious county award, along with a string of other accolades. And they LOVE training at Meridian Leisure Centre!
It’s now onwards and upwards for Louth Netball Club, the newly crowned Lincolnshire Netball League’s Club of the Year 2019. The title, which is won on a points’ system based on achievements during the season, was the icing on the cake – with the club also achieving top three positions for six out of nine teams in the league, and trophies for England Netball Performance Pathway players and Players’ Player categories. In addition, talented centre court player Maisie Kendall scooped the overall Players’ Player award in her Under 16s category.
More than 40 club members were at the presentation evening held at Lincolnshire Showground’s Epic Centre with more than 400 people attending – all associated with the Lincolnshire County Netball League.
“It was a fantastic achievement and such a surprise,” said Head Coach and chairperson Carolyn Blackburn.
Always a popular club and now in its 12th year, Carolyn said membership had blossomed since moving to a new training base at Meridian. Membership is now approaching 100 with girls and ladies of all ages and from as far afield as Skegness, Woodhall Spa, Gainsborough and Grimsby.
“It really is growing and growing. Obviously, the success of the England Roses team winning Gold at the Commonwealth Games last year has helped netball’s profile, but locally things have really taken off since we moved over to the Meridian which has proved to be a popular venue for us,” said Carolyn, who added how she was now seeking sponsorship to take the club to the next level.
Winning the main award was a proud moment for all the members of Louth Netball Club, but especially for Carolyn, who was the club’s founder at a time when netball was being restructured across the country.
“The Lincolnshire League was formed, and I then decided to start the club here in Louth,” explained Carolyn, who juggles life as a part-time PE teacher at Horncastle’s Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School with her work as a coach with the England Netball Performance Pathway and running Louth Netball Club – with the support of Danielle Gibbs and Emily Templeton, the club’s other two coaches’.
A fan of all sports and keeping active, Carolyn has been pleased to see the development of women in sport over the years.
“More and more women are getting involved in netball, and sport as a whole, which can only be a really good thing and I have noticed how it has become more popular as fashions have changed,” she added.
Praising the club for its success, Magna Vitae Chief Executive Mark Humphreys, said: “We are all thrilled for the club and wish them even more success in the future. Meridian Leisure Centre, like all Magna Vitae’s facilities and activities, are designed to see people enjoying getting together, having a great time and living a great life – and clearly this is what the members of Louth Netball Club are doing.”
The Club has its training sessions at Meridian Leisure Centre on Thursdays from 5pm, with four, hour-long sessions for different age groups ranging from school Year Three to adults. For more details regarding training or sponsorship please contact Carolyn by email: carolynblackburn0409@gmail.com