Community Spotlight: North Cumbria Badminton League

23 January, 2025

North Cumbria Badminton League are ensuring extra individuals than ever can take pleasure in England’s favorite racket sport.

Demand for badminton has by no means been larger on the Carlisle-centred membership, which is why they’ve determined to launch weekend teaching classes to verify nobody will get left behind.

Hosted each Saturday on the Badminton Border Membership, the 90-minute program led by Stage 2 coach Ben Davidson has been a rousing success, with the membership blossoming right into a badminton haven the place anybody can choose up a racket and work on their sport.

“There have been quite a few gamers at our membership who take pleasure in enjoying badminton and usually attended membership nights,” the membership mentioned.

“Advert hoc tuition could be given by extra skilled gamers to attempt to enhance gamers nevertheless this wasn’t actually the setting for teaching, with everyone else watching.

“Membership nights had been additionally turning into notably busy. We needed a pathway for social and newbie gamers to have the ability to have some type of teaching to enhance their sport in a managed atmosphere the place practise may very well be performed.

“We spoke with a Stage 2 coach (Ben Davidson) about his availability and arrange a brand new session on a Saturday 4:30 – 6pm. This session was break up into 45mins of teaching and 45 minutes of video games.

“The audience was adults within the Carlisle space who had an curiosity in badminton, at a extra inexperienced stage and had been eager to develop their sport.”

To unfold the phrase, the membership used social media, with platforms reminiscent of Fb instrumental in guaranteeing attendances mirrored the rising demand for bespoke badminton teaching throughout the space.

They added: “All members had been welcome and requests are made to share social media posts. There was additionally a social media marketing campaign created on Fb to promote the session which was extremely profitable.

“In whole to this point now we have had 34 completely different attendees with a mean attendance of 10-12 individuals. Round half of those payers are fully new to enjoying badminton within the space. Doubtless the gamers attending are enhancing and creating their sport.

“An energetic social media marketing campaign was the important thing to creating this occur. We additionally diminished the obstacles to entry by asking a really cheap charge of £6 a session and working as a pay-to-play kind session meant that anyone might come alongside to attend with out an enormous monetary dedication.

“Our staff are additionally comparatively younger which I feel assist creates enthusiasm and drive development within the space. The truth that the coach is employed relatively than a volunteer ensures there’s a focus to make the session profitable.

“There’s a big pool of people that need to play badminton, you simply must get them by the door, and so they all the time have a good time. All it takes are a couple of people to create the initiative, present enthusiasm and other people will attend.”

Photograph credit score: Badminton Photograph/Mikael Ropars