A Jesmond netball club has supportied local charities following a donation drive throughout November and December. During training sessions and matches, players collected essential groceries and toiletries to support families and women in need across the north east.

Riverside Netball Club, a community-based netball club that trains and plays some of its matches in Jesmond in Newcastle High School for Girls’ Brandling Sports Hall, decided to give back to the local community this Christmas as part of its commitment to inclusion and community support.

Groceries that were collected by the club were donated to Feeding Families, a charity that supports families experiencing food insecurity across the north East, assisting nearly 10,000 households over the Christmas period. Also donated amongst necessary groceries were toiletries, given to a local women’s refuge, helping to improve access to essential items for women and children in Newcastle and the north east.

Aimee Robbins, a member of the Riverside club committee who lives in Jesmond told JesmondLocal that Riverside is a club that is dedicated to its “fundamental values of inclusion, support and community…[we] were very grateful and excited to be able to give back to a couple of local charities”.

Collections took place throughout November and December, a crucial period for local charities as winter pressures and seasonal demand place additional strain on families and support services.

“We aim to look for other opportunities in the future to support local communities and use what’s so special about our netball club to support charities across the North East,” said Robbins.

Riverside is made up of players from a wide range of backgrounds and ages. While several of the younger players live in Jesmond, the teams include juniors, university students and women with families who live across Newcastle and along the coast.

The club trains and plays several times a week, competing in a local Tyne and Wear league as well as a regional league on Saturdays against teams from across the north east. It currently fields three teams in the Tyne and Wear league and two in the regional league. As well as training and playing Jesmond, the club also uses courts at Vertu Motor Arena on Scotswood Road.