Stroud Netball Club are a family club and that is epitomised by the fact that they currently have seven mothers and daughters either playing or heavily involved with the club.

The magnificent seven are: Julie and Tuesday Wilmott, Paula and Samantha Lane, Wendy and Alice Chandler, Leanne and Chloe Ennis, Kerry and Abby Richardson, Di and Claudia Reid, and Phillippa and Emily Green.

The club have been running since the mid-1970s and these days boast around 120 members.

“We run nine teams,” says coach Wendy Chandler, who also plays for the club’s 3rd team alongside soon to be 18-year-old daughter Alice. “We have three senior teams who all play in the Gloucestershire League in the Premier Division, Division Two and Division Four.

“We also have three under-16 teams, two under-14 teams, an under-13 team and an under-12 team.”

At 51, Wendy reckons she is one of the oldest players at the club. Club netball has been a huge part of her life as she signed up to Stroud at the age of just 16.

In those days the club had only one team, but they have certainly come a long way since then. So much so that they are now one of the larger netball set-ups in the county, having established a junior section some eight years ago.

“So many people do so much for the club,” Wendy said. “Everyone is a volunteer. Julie Wilmott is one of our umpires. She’s an ex-player and she’s also our treasurer. She’s brilliant, a fantastic support to the club.

“Then there’s Karen Kinnear. She’s been at the club a long time and as our club secretary does an awful lot of paperwork and admin behind the scenes.

“Then there’s all the coaches, umpires and volunteers across so many areas including fundraising, social media, safeguarding, communications. We couldn’t survive without them. We’re a proper grassroots club.”

Like the majority of grassroots clubs, having fun is the name of game and if success comes along on top of that, then it is seen as a bonus.

“It’s important that we get as many juniors coming through into the senior section,” said Wendy, “When girls leave school at 16, so many of them stop playing sport. It’s a big issue and we want girls to know that there is something really good right here on their doorstep.”

The club’s door is always open, they play matches at leisure@ in Cheltenham, Sir Thomas Rich’s and Bentham, and have training nights at Marling School and Stroud High School.

It may be a big operation, but the club have never lost their family feel.