Unicorns LGBTQIA+ Netball Club

A safe space for queer folk (and allies) of all genders and abilities to play netball

Our Story

Back in 2021, James (our founder) realised that there wasnt currently a netball club for the LGBTQIA+ Community that was available for all genders. Having been a member of London Frontrunners, and with friends in LGBTQIA+ clubs for other sports, James knew the importance and benefit of creating a safe and inclusive environment for these communities to play sport.

So, with the help of his teammates Louise and Clare and with Knights Men's and Mixed Netball, he organised our first ever friendly session open to all in October 2021. Since then, we have seen the committee, and our club continue to grow, in numbers and in netball opportunities, to become the Unicorns LGBTQIA+ netball club you see today!

Our aim is to make netball more accessible to everyone, regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation or skill level. So, whether you just want to give netball a try, haven’t played since school, play regularly at social level, or are an internationl superstar, you’ve come to the right place! This group is an inclusive safe space for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and our allies to join together and play netball!

Register...

And Join us on the Court!

We're an ever growing club and would love for you to join us! The options are detailed below, but we want to make it clear that we always intend to be a not-for-profit venture that’s financially accessible to everyone. If you’re on a low income and want to be involved, talk to us.

We offer beginner-friendly monthly sessions, a safe space to socialise with queer people, and also, from September 2023, performance coaching sessions for more advanced players.

To attend any of our sessions, all participants will need to register with us and agree to the code of conduct and club rules. This is so we can protect you and meet the requirements of venues we book. See below our membership options and click the sign up button to go to our registration form.

**The first two sessions will always be free for newcomers**

Membership options

Name	Description	Price
Full membership	Valid until 31 March 2024 No need to pay-per-session Priority booking for sessions Option to represent the club in tournaments and events First pick to join any club teams we create in the future Discounted entry to paid for club events and socials, including Christmas Party and Trials	£30.00
Associate Membership	Pay-per-session	£5.00
Low Income Membership	If you’re on a low income but want to be involved, talk to us. We care about making netball accessible to everyone, and won’t turn people away just because they can’t afford our membership fees.	Get in touch with us

Upcoming Events

We currently hold monthly training sessions on Saturday afternoons at various locations across London. We also hold other events outside of this, including tournaments and socials. Scroll down to read more. Note full members will get priority on any team spaces for tournaments and leagues

Gallery

Latest News...

We’ve won another award!

We scooped our second award for inclusion in the space of 12 months at the ONE awards - this time being recognised by the national governing body, England Netball. Founder James and the club were joint winners of the London and South East region awards, and go through to the national awards, taking place in October.

We're now an award winning club!

In November (2022), our incredible Club was voted Most Inclusive Club at the Out for Sports Awards. Inclusivity and creating a safe space for all genders, sexual orientations and abilities sits at the heart of what Unicorns is all about. So winning this award was extra special for us. We would not be where we are today without our members and all the people who have supported us along our journey, so this is for all of you!

Out for sports awards Most Inclusive Club photo

Out for Sport Sport Awards

After returning home from winning a tournament in Amsterdam, we were delighted to hear that Unicorns has been nominated for the Most Inclusive Club Category and the Emerging Club of the Year awards at the Out for Sports Awards Ceremony being held on Friday 18th November 2022. We were also thrilled to find out that our very own committee member Nikki has been nominated for the Unsung Hero award. Wish us luck, and we'll let you know how we get on!

Nike LGBTQIA+ Diversity and Inclusion Fund Interview

In early October 2022, we were interviewed by Jon Holmes from Sports Media LGBT+ about the Nike LGBTQIA+ Diversity and Inclusion Fund, which Unicorns, along with six other Out for Sport member clubs received in the summer. "As the newest of the seven clubs, Jon was keen to find out what the grant meant to us and how it's already having a huge impact on the club."
You can read the full article here.

In The Media

In October 2022, Sky Sports featured us in their #rainbowlaces campaign coverage. It was so exciting to see our Club on the telly helping us to reach new Unicorns!