Our Strategy

The ‘Adventure Strategy’ outlines the intention to accelerate the development and growth of the game at every level, from grassroots to the elite, elevating the visibility of the sport and leading a movement to impact lives on and beyond the court.   

At the heart of its purpose, England Netball, with its proud and unique female foundations, will remain dedicated to increasing opportunities for women and girls to play the game as a priority, working tirelessly to address the gender participation gap in sport that has widened since the global pandemic. Underpinned by years of engaging with and delivering netball for female communities, the organisation pledges to understand, support and nurture women and girls more deeply at every life stage, at every age.  

The organisation is also committed to opening up the sport to new audiences in every community, so netball better represents the rich diversity of the country it proudly represents, and ensures the sport continues to evolve and adapt to thrive in the future, helping to create a truly inclusive sport for all where everyone can belong, flourish and soar.      

The recent partnership announcement with England Men’s and Mixed Netball Association (EMMNA) to help develop and grow male participation in the game, supports this commitment as England Netball pledges to promote difference and embrace the opportunity to make the sport a possibility within everyone’s reach. 

Transforming netball for children and young people is a strategic priority to protect the future of the sport.  Working with schools and policy makers to extend physical literacy within, and after the school day with a focus on netball specific provision will pave the way for greater community participation. The organisation will accelerate the expansion of its Bee Netball programme for young children, whilst supporting teens and young women to stay in the game to keep them physically active and in the game for life.  

The elite game is in focus too, with the ambition for the Vitality Roses to be the best female sports team in the world, supporting the national team to consistently win on the world stage, with an outstanding talent pathway in place to fuel sustainable successes on court, and setting new standards for netball.  The professionalisation of the game over the next decade is a priority, focusing on growing world-leading international and domestic competitions and events, and creating more careers in the sport.  

Grounded in feedback from the Netball Family, with over 3,000 members and stakeholders consulted as part of the strategic process to understand what they wanted netball to ‘look like’ in 2031, the plan is aspirational and ambitious and sees the organisation pledge to continue to be a trailblazer for women’s sport as it embarks on its new adventure.  

To help realise the purpose there are six ‘destinations’ in the strategy, underpinned by 14 ‘game-changers’ that form the actions the organisation will take to bring it to life.

Our moral compass provides a framework of beliefs and values designed to hold the organisation true to its purpose, with seven distinctive ideals that will help guide the workforce, volunteer community, partners and wider Netball Family on the journey.

In 2021 we embarked on our new adventure and published our 10-year strategy. Our purpose for the next 10 years is to lead a movement on and beyond the court and to uphold an unapologetic focus on women and girls whilst opening the game to new audiences to belong flourish and soar. Our strategy’s aim to embed the diversity & inclusion throughout the work we do and the destinations we want to reach over the 10 years.

Our adventure is driven by our moral compass which is our framework of beliefs, values and ideals we hold fast, that help us stay true to our purpose. Dedicated to Difference is one of its driving pillars, where we pledge to promote and celebrate difference, embracing the opportunity to make our sport a possibility within everyone’s reach, ensuring netball is open to new audiences, beyond our current following, to discover the joy of belonging in netball.

Download our full Dedicated to Difference Action Plan below.