Women in Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent are having a ball when it comes to their social lives, thanks to a partnership between two local authorities and the Sports Council for Wales.

A ‘social’ netball league backed by Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent County Borough Councils has proved so successful that the number of teams involved has doubled, while other teams have since progressed onto more competitive leagues.

The Caerphilly/Blaenau Gwent Adult Social League was formed to provide a structured and organised base for the sport to be played, while maintaining an easy-going and relaxed atmosphere.

The onus is on the women to organise and run the league, with the teams responsible for arranging their own fixtures every fortnight.

The league started with five teams but has now expanded to 11, with three teams even having B sides and one having a C side. A number of the women involved have attended coaching and umpiring courses to assist with the development of their clubs and to ensure they remain sustainable.

Cllr Phil Bevan, Caerphilly County Borough Council cabinet member for education and leisure, said:

"It’s great to see that this new league is proving to be such a big success. Any initiative that encourages more people to enjoy sport and lead an active lifestyle is to be welcomed. We will continue to create new and exciting opportunities to get more people of all ages involved in sport across the area in the future."

Cllr Jason Owen, Blaenau Gwent Council’s Executive Member for Leisure, echoes the thoughts of Cllr Bevan:

"We are working with the Sports Council for Wales to provide more opportunities for local people to take up healthier lifestyles. Our netball league teams offer first class sports, fitness and fun activities for women."

Individual teams within the league have received funding from the Sports Council for Wales’ Community Chest Scheme. Grants of up to £1,000 are awarded to organisations seeking to develop physical activity and sporting projects and are traditionally injected into training up coaches and providing equipment.

Chair of the Sports Council for Wales, Philip Carling, said:

"Community Chest has been and continues to be a huge success and is very popular throughout both Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent. The recent increase in funding and the greater scope of the scheme will increase its effectiveness.

"We want to hear of bright ideas and projects that will get more people in both local authority areas more active, more often."