London Sport Awards 2021 Winner: The Elite Sport in the Community Award - London Pulse Netball Club

LONDON Pulse may have their eyes on the Vitality Netball Superleague prize - but were injected with an early boost of momentum by claiming a prestigious London Sport Award at the Guildhall.

The netball club were crowned winners of The Elite Sport in the Community Award, in association with the Mayor of London, for the work they undertake to encourage visually-impaired people to try the sport and be active.

And while their semi-professional side are shooting for top-flight success, London Pulse's shared goal is also to provide netball for everybody.

The club's programmes ensure those with visual impairments and disabilities can enjoy the game too while making sure they are still valued and feel a part of a community.

London Pulse beat Saracens Foundation and Charlton Athletic Community Trust to scoop the gong and Sam Bird, CEO of the club, said: “It’s just amazing actually, we’re genuinely surprised and genuinely didn’t expect to win anything.

“There’s a lot of amazing people here this evening and we’re just really delighted to win an award!

“It’s been a really good partnership [with Metro Blind Sport], we connected through lockdown, we’re really keen to engage across the community.

“Visually-impaired netball is a first and we’re delighted to work together over the coming years and months.”

Over the last five years, the annual London Sport Awards, in association with the City of London Corporation, has grown to become the biggest celebration of grassroots and community physical activity and sport in the city.

And this year’s showpiece event once again recognised, celebrated, and shone a light on the stories of the incredible individuals, groups, and organisations for their outstanding work across the capital, helping Londoners of all ages and backgrounds to be physically active.

Martin Symcox, the Metro Blind Sport and Lead Advisor on the Visually Impaired Netball Programme , added: “I think it’s really important that groups and people with disabilities get recognised in terms of the activity they do and partnership working between two organisations really gets recognised in terms of the awards that they do .”

See the full list of London Sport Awards 2021 winners here.