Netball: Sheffield coach Helen Thorneloe wins top national award

Helen Thorneloe has won a National Award for Inclusion and Diversity from the governing body of Netball for her work in developing a new section of Sheffield Concord Netball Club, Net4All, for girls aged 11-18 with special educational needs, the first in Yorkshire and Humberside.

She was awarded at the National Goalden Globes ceremony in the middle of the Netball World Cup in St Georges Hall, Liverpool.

The new section of SCNC, Net4All, was launched last December after months of work by Helen with a taster day for schools with 18 of Concord senior and junior coaches introducing netball to 60 SEN pupils from South Yorkshire mainstream and special schools.

The monthly club, coached by Helen and Jill Newbolt, gradually grew in numbers from January to June

Sais Helen: "‘I was over the moon to receive this award for Inclusion and Diversity at the Goalden Globes and to have my niece, Jackie, alongside me was perfect! We have a loyal bunch of girls attending Net4All but would love to see more coming to join in the fun this coming season!’

There is a Net4All Taster Day for SEN school pupils on Monday, 30 September, at the EIS Sheffield.

Entry for this is through the schools SEND Department.

Net4All as a club restarts on October 16th at the EIS Sheffield with monthly sessions for girls aged 11-19 with Special Educational Needs at 6.45pm-8pm and they are also starting a section for female adults with intellectual impairments October 16th 5.45-7pm.