HSP supports netball session for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Following a chance meeting at one of Hertfordshire County Councils networking events on countywide support for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, two Project Officers from the Partnership were invited by the Stevenage Community Safety Unit at Hertfordshire Constabulary, to attend a netball session that was being delivered onsite at one of the Hertfordshire Contingency Hotels.

Led by Lucy, the Hertfordshire Netball Development Officer and Sally, Hertfordshire Netball Community Coach, Alex and Jess from HSP joined 12 residents for a fun filled netball session that took place in a deserted part of the car park, showing that physical activity can happen anywhere!

The session involved passing skills, shooting games and team building activities before finishing up with a match, with each team being a mix of residents, HSP officers and members of the Stevenage Community Safety Unit. Both teams were supported by a crowd of spectators who came out to watch and cheered when every goal was scored, which helped the residents build positive relationships with each other. Life in a contingency hotel can be challenging, and even though these women might have rooms on the same corridor, they often do not have the confidence to engage with each other. Lucy and Sally made the session welcoming from the start and added the rule of saying your name when you were passed the ball in the first activity, so that relationships could start to form. By the end, people had started to form connections and were engaged in conversation as they left the session, supporting PS Karen Mellor’s comment that “netball is such a great way for people to come together.”

On being invited to the session, Alex Varran, the Partnerships Active Communities Project Lead commented: 
“When I first heard about the session from Dani, I immediately wanted to get involved and offer support.  Many of the women had never played netball before, but they soon got the hang of it, and it was great to see them working with one another during all the activities. They all left with smiles on their faces and were enthusiastic for future sessions to be offered, so hopefully we can make this happen soon.”