LIVING SPORT Awards Winners 2009 – Nov 09 - Press Releases - LIVING SPORT

LIVING SPORT Awards Winners 2009 – Nov 09

The County’s sporting stars and unsung heroes were rewarded for their achievements at the Sports Awards on Thursday 12 November at the Huntingdon Marriot Hotel. LIVING SPORT, in partnership with BBC Radio Cambridgeshire and Cambridge News, hosted this special celebration in the company of over 200 guests including Rory Underwood, England Rugby legend.

Record nominations, representing 29 sports, were received for the nine awards and all the winners had to beat off stiff competition.

Top of the bill was Charlotte Edwards. The England women’s cricket captain originally from Pidley, won Kitsports Sports Performer of the Year. Edwards has had an outstanding year, winning both the 20-20 and 50-over World Cups as well as the Ashes in Australia.

Huntingdonshire Regional College Young Sports Performer of the Year went to 17 year old Gareth Furlong, from Histon, who plays hockey for Wales. Furlong was part of the under 18 team who won Bronze in their European Trophy followed by Gold at the UK School Games. Anglia Ruskin Disabled Sports Performer of the Year went to Charlotte Cox from Cambridge and Coleridge Athletics Club who won national events in the 100m and 200m and topped her season with one Gold and Two Silver Medals at this summer’s Special Olympics GB.

The people behind the performers were also rewarded for their efforts and Cambridge News Coach of the Year went to Sam Buck, 25, from Cambridge Dive team, who has led his divers to success at all levels this year from novice to National Elite level. Sam is recognised nationally as one of our leading young coaches.

Volunteers were recognised and the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Services to Sport Award went to Mike Dimambro of Milton for his years of dedication to the Cambridge University and District Referees Society. Mike has played many different and vital roles in the Society since 1975 helping students and schools to play Rugby. The Barracudas Activity Days Camps Young Volunteer of the Year went to Paris Rose-Brixey, 18, who has amassed over 200 hours of volunteering with Cambridgeshire Football Association and Waterbeach Colts, as well as Fudoshin Karate club and Hills Road Table Tennis Club.

The Advance Performance Club of the Year went to Cambridge Cangaroos Trampoling club who have opened two new satellite sites at Coleridge and Cottenham to complement their Sawston base and cater for the huge increase in membership to 150 active members, with 40 members regularly competing and emerging on the national scene under the guidance of Head Coach Tony Fagelman.

A new award for 2009 is the Matthew Warn Power of Sport Award for the project that has made a real impact on the local community by addressing the needs of young people or under-represented groups and demonstrates the ‘power of sport’ to change lives. The Award was presented in the name of Matthew Warn, the Deputy Head at Norwood Primary School, Peterborough who died suddenly in August, to the County Disability Sports Forum for their work in championing disability sport in the county, especially the annual Youth Games PLUS and the development of regular PLUS competitions in a range of sports.

Schools were recognised with the Sport Connect School of the Year, which went to Hinchingbrooke School who do a tremendous work in and outside curriculum time with a huge range of sports, catering for elite standard pupils by enabling them to train long hours and be away from school, as well as those pupils who wouldn’t normal participate in sport and who now enjoy getting active.

Rory Underwood commented ‘the Sports Awards are a great way of recognising the hard work that goes on behind the scenes at sports clubs across the county and rewarding the skill and dedication of our top performers. It is all about team work and partnerships.’

Notes to Editors:

LIVING SPORT is the County Sports Partnership for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. It is one of 49 in the country, promoting and encouraging sports and physical activity at all levels across all age groups. We want more people to take part in sport and physical activity and LIVING SPORT’s vision is “active, healthy, successful communities where everyone can play, achieve and enjoy”. Our aim is to work with a wide range of individuals and organisations involved in sport, bringing them together to form one powerful single voice for sport in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

As part of our role as a champion for sport in the county, LIVING SPORT organises the Annual Sports Awards to celebrate local sporting achievement by sports people, clubs, schools, coaches and volunteers. 

For more information and interviews please contact Rebecca Gilbertson, Events Coordinator, on 01487 849929 or rebecca.gilbertson@livingsport.co.uk or Amanda Callard, Development Manager, on 01487 849925 or amanda.callard@livingsport.co.uk

Edit Article