A FOOTBALL club has scored a £4,440 grant to launch a walking football group and Harwich’s first walking netball group.

Little Oakley has announced the new classes, which will start next month, after being awarded the cash from the National Lottery Community Fund to pay for the groups.

The projects are being led by the club’s sports development team, Derek Murr and James Martin.

Mr Murr said: “We are keen to embrace those folk who want to enjoy some gentle sporting action, get fit and have fun.

“These new initiatives provide opportunity for a gentle introduction or re-introduction in a safe supportive environment.

“Our existing walking football programme has been enormously successful and we will build on that success with these new exciting initiatives.”

Mr Murr added the idea for walking netball came after the club organised a small tournament at the University of Essex and watch the game being played.

He said: “Before the walking football started there was a netball session and we were watching that and thought we could do something like it. As for the walking football, our sessions have become competitive and we have teams in the league.

“We have found some people have come along and have found it too competitive.

“We didn’t want to turn people away and wanted to do something like this for them.

“There is a need out there, we are just trying to organise something.”

The new sessions will join the club’s current walking football, which is for those aged 50 and over, but will not have an age restriction.

The funding will cover the new groups for one year and means the sessions will be free.

Elly De Decker, senior head of regional funding at the National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We are delighted to fund Little Oakley Walking Football Team, a project that brings people together to improve their health and fitness and make new local connections.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, projects such as this up and down the country are improving people’s wellbeing and empowering communities to thrive.”

Walking netball starts on Monday, July 1 at 10.30am at the Memorial Club ground in Little Oakley Club, while the recreational version of walking football kicks off on Tuesday, July 2, at 10.30am.

For more information call 01255 880370.