Time Together

Time Together is an annual campaign run every October by Women In Sport (you can find out more here) and last year we asked England Netball members to submit stories about why they love spending netball time together, with the carrot of a chance to win a pair of tickets to watch the Vitality Roses play South Africa.

Kelly Ives applied on behalf of herself and her daughter Georgia and was delighted to find she had won!

Kettering-based Kelly plays and umpires in her local league while Georgia, who is studying at university in Chester, plays in her own local league as well as in mixed national leagues and she also plays Para Netball, as she is deaf in one ear.

Kelly says: “We are more like best friends and play netball together as a bonding experience and a much-needed release from the stresses and strains of life. I started playing netball at school, then took it up again after a gap, and I guess I’ve been playing with Georgia from when she was about 14.

“We’ve both had a very hard couple of years – my husband, Georgia’s dad, was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer in 2022 and we watched him deteriorate in front of our eyes.

Georgia representing West Cheshire Warriors

“We travelled to visit him in hospital, attended weeks of chemotherapy together and nursed him at home for a year before he passed away last October. Netball was the only time of the week I was able to leave him – I would arrange for carers to look after him so I could go out and play, and meet up with my friends socially. During this time, Georgia commuted weekly from Chester despite studying for her degree, working, and playing and coaching netball. She was my rock and showed immense strength and love.

“Netball and Georgia are my two favourite things. And I felt she deserved a treat so when I saw the post on Instagram, I just thought I’d enter!

“I was amazed when we found out we’d won. We had a fabulous weekend. Brilliant seats, brilliant netball and brilliant accommodation. We even met a couple of the players and had our photos taken. A real memory to treasure.”

At the game with mum Kelly