News

Bringing women together through Netball and Sporting Memories

Over the course of the past year, Sporting Memories Scotland has been working alongside with Netball Scotland and South Lanarkshire Leisure Sports Development Team to develop and deliver a concept that engaged women to be active through Netball and social activities. 

The Net and Natter project was created over the final few months of 2025 and launched in March 2026, with the aim of encouraging women from South Lanarkshire to take part in walking netball sessions along with participating in Sporting Memories sessions run during their time at the Ally McCoist Centre in East Kilbride.

Bringing Net and Natter to life

The idea for the project came to life when the team from Sporting Memories Scotland met with Lindsay Meighan, a former Scotland international netball player, who now coaches netball and was keen to develop walking netball within South Lanarkshire.

After initial discussions it was agreed to create a joint session where walking netball would be combined with a Sporting Memories session after playing, to create a prolonged activity where women could gather to socialise as well as play.

Once the concept was agreed, volunteers were trained to help Lindsay deliver and support the sessions, including three students from the University of West Scotland as part of the South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture programme.

Over the course of early 2026, the sessions were promoted locally to encourage women to attend ahead of its launch in March.

Getting Underway

The first session saw a good crowd join Lindsay and the volunteers as they took part in a range of exercises and games connected to Netball. This was then followed by tea and coffee and a ‘natter’, where everyone got to know one another in the usual Sporting Memories format.

Women from across the South Lanarkshire and Glasgow areas attended the sessions, which showed there was interest for the sessions from the local area.

Over the course of the 12 weeks the project ran, there was always one hour of Walking Netball- drills and games - followed by a 30-minute social “natter,” providing a welcoming space for connection, conversation, and peer support.

Pickleball and table tennis taster sessions were also introduced at the Ally McCoist centre through the community sports hub programme as a way of providing more opportunities for the women to be active.

Feedback and future

Feedback from the very first session was positive, with one participant explaining to the group how she was a former PE teacher who used to coach netball to young women across Glasgow and saw this as a great opportunity to ‘rekindle her love for the sport’.

Over the course of the project, we asked the attendees for their feedback on why they enjoyed the sessions, with many commenting on the social aspect of the sessions and enjoying taking part in something alongside other like-minded women.

Some of the participants detailed that they had been living with health issues and felt this type of activity would provide some physical and mental wellbeing benefits. These included mobility issues, depression, MS and a recent heart attack.

Donna Mackey, our Partnerships Manager, reflected on the project by adding: “It’s been wonderful to see the impact of the Net and Natter project over the course of the time it has run.

“From my visits to the sessions as well as the feedback we’ve collated over time, it’s clear to see that the women who come along regularly really get a huge mental and physical boost from being part of the sessions.

“It shows how sport can easily connect people together, through these activities or discussing memories, which in turn can make a real difference to their wellbeing.”

Lindsay Meighan, Health Development Officer at South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, also shared her delight at the impact of the project: “Our partnership with Sporting Memories to establish Walking Netball in East Kilbride has delivered extremely positive outcomes.

“The programme has provided women with a welcoming and inclusive environment where they can increase their levels of physical activity, improve their confidence, form meaningful friendships, and feel part of a supportive community. The positive impact on participants has been clear to see as the group continue to attend weekly sessions supported by one of our coaches.”

There is hope that the project can be relaunched in the coming months and provide more women the chance to get active and socialise across South Lanarkshire.