The ceremony, hosted by the Alliance’s president His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex, recognised 15 sport and recreation clubs and organisations across five categories for their excellent and inspiring community projects. Each category winner received their award and a prize of £1,000.
We also took the opportunity to celebrate the Commonwealth Games coming to Birmingham and were delighted to welcome Emily Campbell, weightlifting bronze medallist from the Gold Coast 2018 and British record holder for the 90kg+ class.
Emily spoke of the important role grassroots clubs and sport play in creating Team England.
Keeping with the Commonwealth Games theme, Ian Reid, CEO for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, took the chance to discuss bringing the event to England’s second city.
The 2019 Community Sport and Recreation Award winners were:
London Youth Rowing who scooped the Community Engagement Award sponsored by the PFA.
The rowing charity established in 2004 gives young people access to a traditionally niche sport and in turn help the rowing community become more diverse and inclusive. Since 2017, they have delivered sessions with over 8,000 participants in the borough of Newham alone.
Bristol Sport Foundation (BSF) received the Creative Partnerships Award sponsored by Sport:80.
The foundation identifies people in Greater Bristol and the West of England in need of support and offers a range of 18 different sports to connect with hard to reach communities.
The Mental Health Award sponsored by Active IQ was awarded to Core Sport for providing free opportunities for adults with mental health issues among Londoners to engage in physical activity.
The charity offers a wide range of sport-specific sessions and exercise classes, along with a weight management programme and regular health checks, accessible via a GP referral.
Panathlon Challenge were rewarded with the Youth Development Award sponsored by DeCyber.
Panathlon Challenge is a disability charity which unlocks sporting opportunities for 18,000 disabled children and young people each year, allowing them to participate in multi-sport Panathlons (mini-paralympic games).
Volunteering is one of the four key strands of the Alliance’s strategy and Northumbria Sport were recognised as the Volunteering Award winner supported by Join In.
From September 2017 to August 2018, their programme has actively engaged over 300 students through volunteering and internships, who logged over 9,000 hours of delivery.
The Alliance looks forward to continuing to work with each award winner to raise the profile of their club and evidence the difference it is making to the local community.
We would also like to extend our congratulations to all of our finalists for the fantastic work they have produced in improving physical activity opportunities at a grassroots level.
A full list of finalists for the 2019 Community Sport and Recreation Awards can be viewed here.
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