World Netball (WN), Sport in Action and the Wallace Group have this week announced their partnership, which will see them expand the successful Community Sport Hub Site model beyond Zambia, and into new countries within Africa.
The Community Hub Site model was first rolled out in Zambia as part of the Netball World Cup 2019 legacy project, Net2019.
Since then, the number of Hub Sites has grown from five to 49, and they are now supporting 263 teams, with more than 16,000 active participants and 350 trained coaching, 53% of which are women.
Each Hub Site is run in the community, by the community, for the community, serving as a central venue for sport-specific training, competition, and youth development.
The model focuses on creating inclusive pathways, especially for young women and girls, while promoting education, leadership, and social enterprise.
The Wallace Group and Sport in Action have now developed a Community Sport Hub Site Toolkit, with a practical guide that provides step-by-step instructions for other communities and leaders to establish and sustain their own Hub Sites.
Thanks to the WN Strategic Development Fund work is now well underway in the Ivory Coast, where in November 2024 WN Africa Regional Development Manager, Joan Smit, and International Sports Development Officer for the Wallace Group and Sport in Action, Jack Preston introduced the Hub Site model to the countries governing body and delivered intensive training to leaders and coaches.
Over the six days, 57 participants were officially awarded Orientation Completion Certificates, and over 1,000 individuals were reached through the community outreach activities, with trainees represented from 13 different regions across the country.
The Hub Site toolkit is now being used as the booklet to guide the development and grassroots strategy for Ivorian Netball, and the model has already been introduced in 11 sites across the Ivory Coast, with more countries within Africa expected to follow.