Title triple for Paralympics star Charlotte Henshaw at Mansfield Sports Recognition Awards night

After becoming world champion for the 10th time in Hungary and winning two gold medals in the Paris Paralympics, she went home from the annual awards night with her sixth Mansfield Sportsperson of the Year title as well as joint Disability Sportsperson of the Year and a special Lifetime Achievement award.

Also nominated for the main award were Mark Taylor, who has now become Britain’s top truck racer and this year made 17 podiums with four wins across Europe, and Callum Mills, who win six medals at the Inclusive Skating Virtual World Championships and has been selected as a reserve to go to Italy for the Special Olympics National Games.

Coach of the Year winner was Jess Stacey-Jepson, who has been pivotal to the survival of North Notts Hockey Club's Junior section over the past year.

Also nominated were Ben Greatbatch (basketball) and Charlie Westwood (gymnastics).

The John Slater Volunteer of the Year winner went to Jo Salmon from Notts Special Olympics, who works tirelessly to ensure the smooth running of several disability sports provisions.

Also nominated were Michelle Slack, Jess Stacey-Jepson, Paul Unwin and Marc Johnson (North Notts Hockey Club), Paul Collins and Sarah Patterson (Sutton Swimming Club) and Phil Bartram (Sherwood Colliery Cricket Club).

The Rotary Paul Harris Special award went to Mansfield's multi-world sidecar racing champions Ben and Tom Birchall.

Junior Sportsperson of the Year was won by William Bingham, who won two gold medals in the open World Championships in Hungary in both kickboxing and MMA and defended his British K1 kickboxing title.

Also nominated were Thomas Swales (swimming), Anastazia Mucha (cycling)

Darja Pilace (skating), Dylan Helme (fencing), Erin Broughton (varied sports) and Sam Hammond (climbing).

Junior Team of the Year were 776 Gymnastics International Team with three regional grade champions, a regional gymnastics floor champion, and county champions. Five of their gymnasts qualified at the county championships and represented Nottinghamshire in the regional final.

Also nominated were Berry Hill United FC.

The Roger Copestake Mayor’s Special Achievement Award went to Peter Mitchell and Silvano Taylor (Mansfield Reds Walking Football Club) while Maurice Brackenbury Team of the Year Award winners were Sutton Swimming Club, with 56 medals won at County Championships and 11 at the County Relays plus four swimmers qualifying for British and National Championships and one bringing home three National titles.

Also nominated were Blidworth Colliery Cricket Club

Special Olympics Sportsperson of the Year joint winners were Oliver Davies (basketball) and Callum Mills.

Barry Gibson Disability Sportsperson of the Year joint winners were Charlotte Henshaw and skater Meg McFarlane, who won gold in the inaugural Special Olympics National Winter Games among other medals.

Also nominated were Callum Mills and David Stroughton.

Junior Sports Leader of the Year winner was Jack Glover from Portland College, who teaches PE and table cricket in schools.

Also nominated was Anya Fox (North Notts Hockey Club).

Ian Bagshaw Memorial Award winner was Phil Bartram (Sherwood Colliery Cricket Club).

Club of the Year winners were 776 Gymnastics and Cheers.

Also nominated were Sutton Swimming Club, North Notts Hockey Club and Blidworth Colliery Cricket Club.

The awards were organised by the Armchair Club in association with the News Journal, and More Leisure Community Trust,

The Armchair Club has been supporting local sports people and sporting clubs since 1982, making grants that now total over £310,000.

In many categories, the judges faced an impossible task, with their being just one point between the winner and the second place.

Judges were each sent each Nomination as they were received, and they reviewed them individually in the privacy of their own homes. A meeting was then held on Zoom when all the individual scores from each judge were collated and so arriving at a final score for each nomination.