No Strings Badminton sessions are continuing to go from strength to strength in Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, with a new initiative in Banbury proving an instant hit upon its launch.
Ciara Linehan has been running No Strings sessions at Legacy Leisure sport centres in Towcester and Brackley for more than a decade, both of which regularly welcome 32 players per week.
In 2021, Banbury began hosting similar sessions, which are fun, low-cost and welcome badminton players of any ability, meaning the No Strings initiative in all now caters for more than 100 players per week.
The range within the No Strings set-up extends from complete beginners to high-level club players, county players and even a former England squad player.
Players new to badminton are given tips and support from existing players and the leisure centre also offers weekly coaching sessions to help these players improve.
No Strings Badminton has long-standing links with the local leisure centres who facilitate the sessions and also local clubs, many of whom have players who have loyally attended the No Strings sessions for many years.
Speaking about the success of the initiative, Linehan said: “Every leisure centre should have a No Strings Badminton session!
“When setting one up, be patient as it takes time for word to get around but once people get involved they will keep coming along and bringing friends too!
“A special thanks should also go to a local coach, Peter MacCallum, who has donated equipment and volunteered at the junior sessions.
“Many of the players who attend No Strings now were previously part of a thriving junior club run by Peter.”
The popularity of the sessions is also borne out by the thoughts of the players themselves, with a selection of their feedback below.
- “This session is the highlight of my week!” – Smash Up player
- “No Strings is a great social activity to get out and have fun!” – NSB player
- “There is a great atmosphere and it’s great being able to chat to different people.” – NSB player
- “It’s been great to come back to No Strings and connect with old friends and make new ones too. Everyone is there because they enjoy playing so the sessions are always full of fun and great rallies!” – NSB player
- “I love the friendships and easy attitude of No Strings. There are some fantastic players who are also good coaches and happy to help me improve my game.” – NSB player
- “After only 6 weeks of attending I have already noticed an improvement in general fitness. It’s a fun way to get fitter, it’s cheap, friendly and a helpful crowd to play with.” – NSB player
- “We love to see how the No Strings badminton sessions help bring the community together. With users of a wide range of ages and abilities enjoying themselves and sharing their love for the sport, it helps us work towards our goal of being a sport and leisure hub for the community.” – Legacy Leisure Centre Manager
- “I love watching people having fun in their games and hearing afterwards about the fantastic shots and long rallies! It’s great watching the new players improving every week and I admire the more experienced players whose rallies have me on the edge of my seat! It’s so lovely to see people getting to know each other and forming new friendships. I am very proud to be part of such a lovely community.” – NSB Coordinator
For more updates from No Strings Badminton sessions, follow their Instagram page @whatstheracket.