Protesting netballers in plea for new home

The sport's current home at Les Ormes is being turned into padel courts

Jersey netballers have braved the rain to push the island's government to find the sport a permanent home.

The Jersey Netball Association (JNA) said the sport was "in crisis" after losing its current base at Les Ormes, which is being turned into padel courts, and were instead offered 27 hours per month at the £8.4m new sports hall at Oakfield in St Helier.

President Linda Andrews, who was at a protest in Royal Square, said it was time to "make a noise" because the decline of netball was "so imminent".

Constable Andy Jehan, the minister with responsibility for sport, said: "We need to sit down around a table and find a solution."

Jehan said he welcomed seeing people who were passionate about sports at the demonstration.

"I'm really quite pleased to see so many people, not just from netball, but other sports," he said.

"People are passionate about sports, whether they're competitors, organisers, coaches, and I really welcome that engagement."

He said the government had "accommodated" late requests for change from the association, including moving the show court.

However, the JNA said the 27 hours a month offered Oakfield was less than a quarter of the time it gets at Les Ormes.

Other sports have also raised concerns over how the new Oakfield facility would be shared.

JNA president Linda Andrews said netball was the second most popular sport in the island among women

Mrs Andrews said the decision was "devastating", adding: "We're a female sport, the second highest sport in the island, and we don't have a home.

"[We need] somewhere that we can call our own, we can run our own programmes, we can generate our own income."

Mrs Andrews said the association had been going for 80 years and had seen many participate in its programmes.

"That's all going to be crushed," she said.

"We know the impact that we have on all these youngsters."

Netball development officer Samantha Salzone said there was a "sporting crisis" across the island

Samantha Salzone, JNA netball development officer, the size of the turnout showed "how big netball is on the island".

"The girls here that have come along today are the ones that are going to get impacted, it's the school age girls that are going to lose their pathways," she said.

"This is a sporting crisis across the island - over the last few years you've seen a reduction of facilities," she said.