St Helens Bees Netball Club

❤️The Vinny Lloyd Memorial Shield for 2026❤️

Vinny was my dad. The silver fox, the one line joker, the sports mad Liverpudlian, the adopted Tranmere supporter, but most of all my biggest supporter. My dad died in March 2024 but dementia took him away from us much earlier than this. That’s what hurts. I wish he’d have been able to remember…. Remember us all when we started this crazy journey together in 2021 to where we are now. He would have been so so proud of what we have created here in this little town for the girls of St Helens….

This year I had a player in my mind early on in the season because this girl oozes netball ….& she has grown as this year has gone on. She has been part of our club since its very beginning in 2021, & her journey with us has been nothing short of inspiring. It has often been said that netball helped rebuild her confidence following Covid, & since that time she has grown into a determined, self-assured & dedicated player, who others look up to and coaches love to coach.

Her ability on court has not gone unnoticed, with consistently positive feedback from opposition coaches & league umpires. She has received the highest number of OPOM awards this season & for the last two years also— a true reflection of her impact during games. She has also shown incredible ambition & courage, trialling independently for Merseyside County — the only player from the club to do so — as well as being selected as part of a small group to trial for Thunder.

Her leadership qualities set her apart. She leads by example every time she steps on court, showing focus, resilience & a relentless work ethic. She lifts those around her, offering encouragement, support & positivity to her teammates, & demonstrates maturity beyond her years in how she communicates & carries herself. This was clear when she was chosen to proudly captain her team at the ENG U11 Northern Cup, guiding & inspiring her teammates throughout the competition.

This athlete truly lives & breathes netball. She embodies everything it means to be a Bee — commitment, teamwork, respect, & passion for the game.

We are incredibly proud of this player & look forward to watching her continue

Our volunteer of the year is our vice chair, fundraising extraordinaire, level 2 coach and TM Nicola Cartwright 🐝 Nic has been with the bees since we started and is the absolute brains of the club, bringing her expertise in HR, wellbeing and business to our set up! But most importantly she is constantly looking for funding bids for us and in the last 3 years her hard work and commitment has secured over £17000 which has been put right back into our girls, our coaches and our club! Well done Nic and thank you 🙏🏻

Our club would be nothing without all of our amazing coaches! And we would be lost without them and@so grateful for all the hours they give to our club volunteering.

This year we asked our coaches to vote their 1st 2nd and 3rd place coaches and we used a points system to pick our runner up and our winner!

Massive well done to runner up coach Claire Cheng and winner jodiemariegaskell 🐝🐝

Very deserving winners and a great achievement to be voted by your peers 🏆🏆

Congratulations to all our y6 winners - their last bees presentation before their new journey St Helens Netball Club 🐝🖤

Sportmanship Award: Flick
This award is all about positivity, owning your own development and overall being a committed enthusiastic role model. This athlete demonstrates these qualities consistently. She behaves impeccably at training, and through occasional self doubt always comes back better and stronger. Congratulations Flick

Most improved - Millie.
The trajectory this player has been on over the last few months stood out for me and earned her this award! Her technical skills improved but moreover her confidence, and she found her voice which as a mid courter you certainly need! I’ve seen her love for netball shining through and her willingness to develop so my award goes to Millie

Coach’s Player Award: Alice
This award not only reflects her incredible contribution to the success of queens this year but her journey as a Bee overall. She is a shining example of a player being able to overcome the troughs of development, and with hard work, determination and resilience, can pay off. An incredible athlete, a joy to coach and a shining example to anyone who may have self doubt! Well done Alice!

Well done to all our y5 winners and here are the citations for the coaches 3 awards:

Sportsmanship Award - Holly 💛❤️🖤
Holly is the definition of sportsmanship. Kind, respectful, and always encouraging those around her, she’s an incredible role model both on and off the court.
A phenomenal and versatile netballer, she can win ball through the centre court before calmly stepping into the circle to convert goals. Consistent, reliable, and loved by everyone, she truly embodies what being a great teammate is all about. So well deserved—well done, Holly! 👏✨

Most Improved Player, Jorgie 🌟💛❤️🖤
What a season Jorgie has had! She’s grown in confidence and developed into a fantastic all-round netballer. A fearless little firecracker, she brings energy, determination, and fight to every game, never afraid to put her body on the line.
Her versatility and huge improvements in reading the game made her an invaluable player across both Year 5 teams, with her performance at the Loughborough Lightning Tournament showing just how far she’s come. So well deserved—well done, Jorgie! 👏✨

Congratulations to our Coaches’ Player of the Year, Neve 🏆💛❤️🖤
Neve has gone from strength to strength this season, reading the game brilliantly, timing her movement to perfection, and shooting her socks off. Her confidence, consistency, and willingness to learn make her an absolute dream to coach.
Off the court, she’s one of the kindest girls in the squad, always supporting her teammates and bringing everyone together. A fantastic player and an even better person. So well deserved—well done, Neve! 👏✨

Here are our u9 winners! Well done girls 🐝

Most improved - Zara 🎉
This player has never given up on trying to improve her game. Zara knew herself she had to master her basics in order to improve her match play and she has worked so so hard this season to do just that. Home practice with her sister Rosa has paid off with help from mum & dad has shown what resilience and determination can do , Zara’s work at WA has gained her compliments from other coaches and this recognition is testament to what hard work can give…. she is a very worthy winner this year! Well done Zara.

Sportsmanship award - Seren
Seren is a player who just loves everything about the game - being on court, being with her netball friends, Thursday training, watching superleague, supporting her sisters - and she has made great progress this year through hard work, effort and perseverance. She has grown not only as a player but as an individual too and she has shown commitment throughout the season. A regular now in defence, she has worked hard on her skills and is attentive in training. She should be very proud of herself. Well done Seren 🎉

Coach’s player - Minnie
Everyone needs a Minnie in their team. The best cheerleader, the one who’ll always be heard shouting “come on girls” when she is on the bench and the one who is the definition of an impact player. Give Minnie a job, and she’ll do it! Ten times over! She works her socks off on court and despite us joking and saying we need to stretch her, she isn’t one bit phased by any size of opposition. She is a solid and safe pair of hands and puts pressure on her opponent constantly to force the turnover. An original bee, I am super proud of her journey! Well done Min x

Congratulations to our u8s 🐝🎉

Coach’s Player - Betsy
Betsy gives 110% every time she steps onto the court. She has a real desire to learn, improve, and be the best player she can be. She has worked on the parts of her game that don’t come as naturally. She now fights for every ball and has developed into a much stronger defensive player, making a real impact all over the court.
Her greatest strength is how she responds to feedback listening carefully and and practising the skill until she gets it right. Her determination to improve is second to none. She is a selfless player who understands that the best decision for the team isn’t always the most glamorous one. She’ll choose the extra pass to a teammate rather than chasing the glory herself, showing real maturity.

Most improved player award - Liv
Olivia has worked hard to improve the fundamentals of her game. Her commitment to learning, listening, and putting in the extra effort at training—and at home—has really paid off and her natural ability is shining through as her confidence has grown. Shes develop strong catching skills, confidently turning in the air, and making a real impact on court.
One of the standout moments of the season was when she calmly scored the golden goal to win the game for her team a fantastic turning point as she started to believe in herself
What has impressed just as much is how she has developed stronger friendships within the team, becoming a valued and supportive teammate.

Sportsmanship Award - Lola
Lola has shown fantastic sportsmanship all season, great commitment, excellent attendance at training and matches, and always works hard to improve. She has great resilience and never lets a tough performance define her. She picks herself up, learns from it, and goes again. She always plays with a smile, and it has been lovely to see her grow in confidence and start using her voice on court. She is always happy to play in any position because, quite simply, she just wants to be on court, involved, and part of the team. She always plays by the rules and shows respect to umpires, teammates, and opponents, making her a wonderful example of true sportsmanship.

Congratulations to all our U7 winners 🏆

Sportsmanship - Nia
At just seven years old, she has shown us that being a great netballer is about much more than scoring goals or winning games.
She always comes to training with a smile, listens carefully, tries her very best, and encourages her teammates. She shows kindness, respect, and fairness to everyone, whether we win or lose. She celebrates the success of others and always supports her team (and the opposition). Guiding them and encouraging them. I am very proud of you and can’t wait to see what you achieve next season.

Most improved - Isobel
From the very first training session to our final game, she has shown determination, enthusiasm, and a real willingness to learn. She has grown in confidence, developed her netball skills, and always gives 100% effort every time she steps onto the court.
What has impressed us most is her positive attitude. She listens, keeps trying, and never gives up, even when things are challenging. Her hard work has paid off, and the improvement we’ve seen this season has been fantastic.
We are so proud of everything she has achieved and excited to see her continue to grow as a player.

Coach’s player - Charlotte
At just seven years old, she has shown fantastic commitment, a positive attitude, and a real love for netball. She always comes to training ready to learn, works hard every week, and gives her best effort in every game.
What makes her stand out is the way she listens, supports her teammates, and never gives up. She leads by example with her enthusiasm, kindness, and determination. Over the year she has had a few wobbles but has overcome these and proven herself week in, week out on court. I am incredibly proud of her progress and the person she is becoming, both on and off the court.

WSFAC Y1/2 player of the season - well done Holly who was awarded this accolade from the league!

Here starts the highlighting of our award winners from our incredible presentation night! We will start with U6 🐝

The 3 coach awards citations are as follows:

Most improved - Dilara Esmeray
Dilara started her journey with us and it’s fair to say we had to work hard on her listening ears…. She definitely had potential and that was evident… fast forward months later and she has developed into a little firecracker on court, she listens and tries so hard to do her best. She has played competitively and has not been one bit phased, picking up opposition player of the match in her very first game. It’s fair to say she has thrived in the last half of the year! Keep shining Dilara 🌟

Sportsmanship award - Bella Stanmore
Bella has grown not just as a netballer but in her personality and her resilience. Bella has fight and desire on court but quite often we had tears and we knew we had to work on that side of her game. We are now at the stage where Bella has come on leaps and bounds. She has played competitively, she has shone on court and she has a really exciting future! Well done Bella🐝

Coach’s player - Eva howard
It is hard not be super proud of Eva’s journey. She started as player who didn’t know her way around the court and looked a little bit distant and struggled, but quickly, with determination and desire, has turned into an absolute demon in defence! Her ability to read the game is beyond her years and she is an absolute joy to watch on court! She has so much potential I am excited to see where her netball takes her! Congratulations Eva 🐝

Well done to all our winners 🏆

🐝JULY PLAYER OF THE MONTH🐝
Sponsored by NDP! A loyal supporter of our club! Thank you!

Honeys 🍯🐝
Her defensive work rate is great, consistently tracking her player with determination from the first whistle to the last. She reads the game well, gets countless tips, and works tirelessly to win the ball back. Her relentless pressure and never-give-up attitude make her a key player every week. What has really impressed us is how well she listens to key instructions during games and puts them straight into action on court. Her willingness to learn, adapt, and improve, makes her a valuable member of the team. Well done Regan 🐝

Bumbles ❤️🐝
This award goes to a young lady who has shown great versatility in the last few games of the season, going back to her defensive position. She has fought hard for the turnovers & has maintained her composure when faced with a tough opposition. She has worked hard in training & put in to practice what she has learnt during her match play. A well deserved ending to the season
Congratulations to Charlotte!

Stingers 🖤🐝
This month, we want to recognise someone who gives her all in every training session and every match. She never shies away from leading her team and has shown real determination in overcoming some personal struggles and worries this month.
Her maturity has also shone through in her reflective journal, where she’s taken time to reflect on her own netball journey and how she can continue to grow.
We’re all incredibly proud of you. Congratulations Jess!

Queens 👑🐝
This player has always been a powerhouse in the mid court and she has put in the effort at training and since the split has thrived in performance based training. She continues to work hard and her resilience and mindset is what has shone through this last month. Her speed through court and her transition from defence to attack is fast paced and her link up play with her middies and her shooters is a joy to watch!
Keep working hard, and well done India!