The Service to Sport Awards is a flagship event in the Herts Sports Partnership calendar. It represents an opportunity to bring together the dedicated, enthusiastic and life-changing individuals, projects and clubs that make up the sport and physical activity landscape of our county.
On the 27th November 2018, over 500 guests celebrated the great work and unwavering commitment volunteers bring to the leisure sector, the innovative ways of keeping our residents active and the life long service many of the workforce has made.
Congratulations to the 2018 finalists. Details of each award are listed below:
Nadine Mehta Unsung Hero
This award recognises those individuals who are integral to a smooth operation, but are very often unseen and unheard. Usually a willing parent, we’re looking to celebrate for the kit washers, tea makers, minibus drivers, line markers, fixture organisers and the like!
Winner: Simone Robinson, Royston Town YFC
2nd place: Alan Walker, Welwyn Tennis Club
Joint 3rd place: Maxine Gillings, Harpenden Rugby Football Club and Ryan Ansell, Watton-at-Stone Cricket Club
Community Coach of the Year: Female
This award recognises the outstanding contribution of a female coach at community level who provides high quality coaching in a voluntary capacity.
Winner: Frances Nicholls, Athena Running Club
2nd place: Nickie O’Sullivan, Watford Gymnastics Club
3rd place: Denise Wells, Stevenage Starlets FC
Community Coach of the Year: Male
This award recognises the outstanding contribution of a male coach at community level who provides high quality coaching in a voluntary capacity
Winner: Chris Samways, St Albans City Youth FC
2nd place: Robin Hester, Stevenage Striders
Joint 3rd place: Michael Tutty, Hertfordshire Society of RFU Referees and Dave Edwards, Garden City Runners
Disability Coach of the Year
This award recognises the outstanding contribution of a coach working in disability sport at community level who provides high quality coaching in a voluntary capacity.
Winner: Andrew Catherell, Hertfordshire Disabled Cricket Association
2nd place: Nikhil Shah, Special Olympics St Albans
3rd place: Brad Wiles, Welwyn Rugby Club
Contribution to Disability Sport
This award recognises the outstanding contribution of a club or group providing disability sport opportunities at community level over the last 12 months.
Winner: Fullerians Rugby Football Club
2nd place: Simon Jackson Turner, Unified Basketball
3rd place: Paul Wainhouse, Therapeutic Thunder
University of Hertfordshire Sports Volunteer of the Year
This award recognises the outstanding contribution of a sport or physical activity volunteer at the University of Hertfordshire. This could be as an activator, a coach, or someone behind the scenes who helps keep everything together.
Winner: Ben McMullan, Performance Herts
2nd place: Abby Sanderson, Women’s Football
3rd place: Anthony Zych, Hertfordshire Sports Village and Boxing
Community Club of the Year
This award recognises clubs, and sections within community clubs whether old or new, who can demonstrate why they are outstanding and make a notable contribution to their local community over the last 12 months.
Winner: Stevenage Starlets FC
2nd place: Paul Davis Fencing Academy
3rd place: Watford Gymnastics Club
‘This Girl Can in Herts’ Award
This award recognises the outstanding contribution of an individual or group who have taken a leading role motivating and inspiring women through sport and physical activity over the last 12 months. The award is all about celebrating those individuals or groups who help women get active no matter how good they are, how fit they are or how they look.
Winner: Fullerians RFC Women & Girls section
2nd place: Stevenage Starlets FC
3rd place: Diane Taylor, This Girl Can
Community Project of the Year
This award recognises a community project that has delivered high quality sport or physical activity and demonstrated significant commitment to increasing participation during over the past 12 months.
Winner: Play Rangers
2nd place: Alex Danson Hockey Academy
3rd place: Herts Youth Inclusive Football
David Wray Service to Sport Award
This award recognises outstanding commitment to sport over the last 12 months.
Winner: Paul Sands, services to cricket
HertsYOPA18 Award
Selected by an independent panel, this award recognises those individuals or groups who have shown the most proactive effort to increase physical activity across their projects, engaged with the spirit and message, and evolved their existing opportunities as a consequence of the HertsYOPA18 campaign.
Winner: LK Fitness
2nd place: Hertfordshire Health Walks
3rd place: Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Sports Apprentice of the Year Award
Selected and judged independently by our partners at Sporting Futures Training, this award celebrates the outstanding development, impact and contribution of both a Male and Female Sports Apprentice over the last 12 months.
Winner: Max Smith
Winner: Courtney Allen
‘parkrun’ Volunteer of the Year Award
Selected and judged independently by our partners from the local parkrun community, this award celebrates the outstanding dedication, commitment and voluntary service from a parkrun volunteer across the last 12 months.
Joint Winners: Ruth Kent and Kate Tettmar
3rd place: Mike Stock
Last edited by Ken Woodward on December 7, 2018
