The alternative sport of korfball – which is considered to be one of the most inclusive sports in the world – has been supported in Swansea thanks to lottery funding.
The brand new Swansea Roar Korfball Club was recently awarded £1,694 by Sport Wales’ Be Active Wales Fund, which uses money from the National Lottery, to help them become established as another sporty option for the city’s residents.
The club used the funding to pay for balls and cones, a coaching course, and their initial costs of hiring a venue.
Matthew Milum, founder of Swansea Roar Korfball club said: “The Sport Wales and National Lottery’s Be Active Wales Fund has been fantastic because they have provided us with the foundations to give the local community somewhere where they can come socialise, get fit, learn a new skill, and feel part of a team.”
Originally created in Holland, Korfball is a fast-paced ball game that incorporates aspects of both netball and basketball. Korfball is one of the only truly gender-equal sports as each team of eight players must consist of four men and four women.
This inclusive nature made it stand out as a sport that Sport Wales was keen to support, with Owen Hathway, Sport Wales’ Assistant Director for Insight, Policy and Public Affairs saying: “We know that fewer women and girls participate in sport, and mixed gender sports like Korfball can offer a brilliant way of getting more females active by creating safe, welcoming and inclusive environments for all.
“We are delighted to be able to support new sport clubs in Wales through our Be Active Wales Fund, made possible by National Lottery players.”
Since they were created earlier this year, the club has steadily picked up new members including Alice Johnson, who said: “It can be hard to make new friends as an adult, but one of the big benefits of Swansea Roar is that it’s a really friendly club where everyone’s made to feel welcome.”
Determined to make their club accessible to all, Swansea Roar Korfball Club offer discounted memberships to those who are unemployed, receive council tax reduction, or receive PIP. The club also offers a free trial of three sessions to potential players. For further details about Swansea Roar Korfball club, please follow them on Facebook and Instagram at @swansearoarkorfballclub.
Thanks to players of the National Lottery, more than £30 million a week goes to good causes across the UK through initiatives such as Sport Wales’ Be Active Wales Fund. Find out more about our funding below.
