Netball in Blaenau Gwent has gone on the goal attack with more ladies than ever before taking to the court, thanks largely to investment from the Sports Council for Wales through the Community Chest scheme.

Community Chest, which is celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year, is a National Lottery grant managed by the Sports Council for Wales and supported locally by Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council. It is designed to encourage more people to become physically active, more often.

After a decade’s worth of investment totalling over £9million, the Sports Council for Wales and the National Lottery are celebrating the successes of community groups and sports clubs that have flourished through unlocking Community Chest funding.

Tredegar Netball Club is one such example, with both the ladies and the junior section receiving over £5,000 each from the Community Chest pot.

Community Chest allowed for the establishment of recreational ladies netball in Tredegar back in 2002, with the funding injected into the purchase of equipment and other start-up costs involved with the set-up of a netball club.

Catherine Hares, Head Coach for Tredegar Netball Club and Sport and Active Living Manager for Blaenau Gwent has been heavily involved with netball across the county and explains the impact that Community Chest has had on netball in the area:

"Consistently applying for Community Chest grants has led to Tredegar Netball Club going from strength to strength over the past seven years. The funding has been ploughed in to expanding the sessions on offer to incorporate a wider age range and a more diverse range of activities."

Both senior recreational and competitive netball, youth netball, aqua netball, mini netball and mixed netball amongst other activities are all available through the club to budding players in Tredegar and have largely been funded with National Lottery cash.

With two teams at every age group from U10 through to the seniors, who compete in the South East Wales league, the club has over 100 members playing competitively and a further 30 members who participate in the recreational activities on offer.

Tredegar are not the only ones to benefit from Community Chest cash, Cath explains:

"Abertillery Ladies have also thrived in recent years expanding from just two teams in 2002 to now having five teams playing competitively as well as teams at U17, U14, U12 and U11 level. Through Community Chest netball clubs for juniors and seniors have also been established in Nantyglo and Ebbw Vale, with teams also being set-up to act as an exit route and cater for those who want to continue playing but not in the competitive leagues."

In a bid to cater for the three expanding clubs within Blaenau Gwent, a ‘Social Netball League’ to also include teams within Caerphilly was set-up in 2003 for those who want to play in matches but without the commitment of playing in a competitive league every Saturday.

Cath continues:

"At the inception of the league every club applied for Community Chest funding so that members could be sent on umpiring courses and so that kit could be purchased in order for them to compete."

Over 150 ladies now participate in the league within 14 teams. Matches are played every two weeks on both a home and away basis during their usual training session times with members umpiring their own matches.

Since its inception in 1999, communities across the length and breadth of Wales have been investing heavily in sports and physical recreation projects.

The Sports Council for Wales has recently raised the level of grant available. Organisations keen to develop sport and physical recreation in Wales can receive up to £1000 for a qualifying project over a 12 month period.

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 Rhondda Cynon Taf. Over the last ten years, it has made a big difference to small community groups such as the Women’s Institute, not just your local football club."

"Panels based in each of the 22 local authorities in Wales hold the purse strings and have delegated authority to award grants to worthwhile projects. We want to hear of bright ideas and projects that will get more people in Rhondda Cynon Taf more active, more often."

Sports clubs are a vital part of the fabric of community life. They, and the people behind the scenes, have the opportunity to source and mould young talent into the stars of the future and instil the core values of hard work, belief and – above all – enjoyment of the sport.

Community Chest funding is helping to create and support new and sporting opportunities for young people across Wales. Funding can be used to train coaches and administrators, small-scale equipment grants for junior development, the establishment of competitive structures for juniors within the community, junior club start-up costs and support for sporting events and festivals.