Welcome to the Community Sport and Recreation Awards 2024: Resilience in Adversity Award, sponsored by Sport:80
The Resilience in Adversity Award celebrates the methods which community clubs have used to keep their participants engaged during difficult periods – perhaps with issues affecting their local community, or more national-scale problems such as the cost-of-living crisis. We are recognising the outstanding projects that have adapted their delivery to support grassroots activity over the past year.
Find out more about each of this year’s finalists below:
Following the pandemic, Hillingdon Triathletes had very low numbers of people entering club races and events, with a reluctance among those who had returned to training to take part.
After losing money at events, the club developed an ‘in-house team competition’ that saw club members put into one of six teams and compete against each other for points. This proved so successful that in 2023 it was widened to include events not just run by the club, but by others too. The club turned its fortunes around to such an extent that it set up a bursary fund for anyone struggling to access events due to cost, especially considering the cost-of-living crisis.
Free taster sessions have also encouraged more people to join, and have contributed to a 40% increase in club members, with numbers reaching a record 354 in 2023.
In the past 12 months, Amy Cooper's transformative leadership at Onboard Skatepark has delivered an inspirational and impactful project that has profoundly benefited her community.
It has become a beacon of positive change, a safe and welcoming space for young people to get involved in BMX, skateboarding and scootering. Amy’s holistic approach, combining both sport and education, helps to ensure that the skatepark contributes to the overall development of young people, as they hone skills that transcend sport. She has also implemented programmes specifically tailored towards vulnerable and disadvantaged children, which are a lifeline for those who participate in them.
The roots of the project can be traced back to an incredibly sad moment in Amy’s life – the loss of her father Mick in 2012 to leukaemia, who left a legacy of caring for vulnerable young people. She has built the skatepark in his image and continued his remarkable legacy.
Wiltshire County Netball Association
Following Mo Squires’ endometrial cancer diagnosis, fellow volunteers at Wiltshire County Netball Association collectively began to raise awareness of female health to help others identify irregularities early.
They hosted the Wiltshire Women’s Health and Wellbeing Netball Festival in Swindon, which combined multi-generational netball tournaments with information from health professionals who were invited to hand out leaflets and talk to people about their concerns. The focus was on cancers that are more prevalent in women, as well as the menopause and the mental health impacts of these physical changes.
The festival also featured fundraising for the Prospect Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Support and the Great Western Hospital, with the initial target of £15,000 comfortably exceeded, resulting in total of £18,000 being raised on the day.
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