Back in the summer of 2009, Jan Macnamara was disappointed by the lack of opportunities to play netball locally so she placed an advert in a local magazine and Susanne Spivey responded. With the help of Talkabout, the pair set up a throwabout session at Downlands’ netball courts. They realised they’d hit on something worthwhile when as many as twenty people turned up, some of whom soon settled into a regular team.

The Hassocks Netball Club was born, and that September they played their very first match as the Hassocks Honeez. They lost fifty to one but didn’t let that put them off. The team began playing in Burgess Hill but soon moved to the Brighton Midweek League (or BMW), which takes place at the back of the Amex stadium where there are eight courts and a real buzz at matches through all four divisions. The Honeys play in Division Three.

A number of the ladies are ‘social players’ but the club does put out a full team for the Tuesday Brighton League: The Hassocks Honeez. There’s also the Hassocks Bumblebees, who train on a Sunday and play matches on a Monday, and there could be scope for new players for this team.

If anyone wants to come along, search on Facebook for ‘Social Netball Hassocks’. Each event is posted weekly and you simply add yourself to the event if you want to attend. It’s £7.50 per training session, which is good value. All players are welcome and Jan is passionate about making netball accessible to all. This is why the team was set up and is no doubt why it has flourished over the last ten years. Any enquiries email: hassocks.nc at btinternet.com.