A fresh netball initiative is providing women with wellbeing improvements and friendship opportunities in Torfaen.

The programme, established by the Allsortz Netball Club, delivers informal sessions designed to address the shortage of leisure activities available locally.

Held at Abersychan School on Monday evenings, the scheme has drawn over a hundred registrations, with as many as 28 participants attending each week.

Vicky Price, aged 48, from Trevethin, enrolled in January and described the initiative as transformative.

She explained that before joining she would simply commute between work and home, but since attending she has shed pounds, discontinued her antidepressant medication and expanded her social circle. She noted that she arrived knowing absolutely nobody yet felt immediately accepted.

Coach Catherine Duke advised that the concept arose from her personal wish to resume the sport without the demands of rivalry.

When she decided to return to netball, the sole choice locally involved joining a competitive side. However, such teams can prove challenging to enter due to restricted availability, trial requirements and substantial obligations. The aim was to create accessible sessions where women could participate when convenient, develop their skills and interact with others.

Since October, the club has seen 105 women sign up through its booking system and recorded more than 600 individual attendances.

The organisation secured financial support from the local authority, which funded equipment purchases, volunteer training and arrangements for using the upgraded Abersychan School facilities.

Ms Duke additionally runs netball sessions through the If You Go I Go initiative.

Megan Parker, who coordinates If You Go I Go, noted that the Torfaen Deal is supporting the expansion of community fitness by empowering local figures such as Catherine to establish themselves as health advocates and create additional chances for women to engage in physical activity.