Shortlists released for Nottinghamshire Sports Awards

Nottinghamshire County Council and Sport Nottinghamshire have spent recent months seeking nominations for the 23rd annual Sports Awards.

The awards are a celebration of grassroots and professional sports.

The awards will be presented during a ceremony on Wednesday, 4th February at the Nottingham Conference Centre, in Burton Street, Nottingham, starting at 7pm.

More than 400 people enjoyed last year’s Nottinghamshire Sports Awards.

Nottinghamshire County Council culture committee chairman Coun John Knight said: “Our annual awards are always a memorable night and we are very much looking forward to recognising the achievements of so many sports people at grassroots, voluntary and professional levels and to celebrating their successes in a wide range of sports.”

Simon Starr, director of Sport Nottinghamshire said: “The Nottinghamshire Sports Awards is a key date in the county’s sporting calendar.

“It’s vital that we recognise and showcase the dedication and commitment of those in our communities who devote their lives to helping our athletes and teams enjoy and succeed in their sport.

“Celebrating the achievements of our talented sports people is equally important.”

There are plenty of high achievers in both junior and senior age groups and all areas of the county are well represented on the finalists list.

Stars competing for the title of Sportsperson of the Year include Becky Downie, who scooped gold on the uneven bars at the European Championships in May last year and added double Commonwealth Gold to this collection, and Isobel Pooley, who set a personal best of 1.92m to win Commonwealth Games high jump silver.

There are familiar names from London 2012 competing for the title of Disabled Sportsperson of the Year, with nominees including Richard Whitehead, medallist at the IPC European Athletics Championships, and swimmer Ollie Hynd – who shone at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with further outstanding performances, and who has Paralympic, World and European Champion titles to his name.

Other names include young Nova Centurion swimmer Rosie Rudin, who represented Great Britain for swimming in Japan last year, and Becky Downie’s sister Ellie, another rising star in gymnastics, both competing for Junior Sportsperson of the Year.

Nottinghamshire, who lifted the NatWest Women’s County T20 trophy in cricket last season, and Nottingham Panthers – currently competing in the ice hockey Elite League – are among the squads up for Team of the Year.

Here is the full list of finalists who make up the nominee shortlist at the annual Nottinghamshire Sports Awards:

Young Coach of the Year

Ashley Hewitt

Benjamin Wilson

Daniel Edson

Rebecca Schinagl

Rosie Needham

Community Coach of the Year

Ruth Pickthorn

Bob Truswell and Pete Haskell

Charlotte Attwood

Ian Clews

Mark Moore

Performance Coach of the Year

Claire Starkey

Dez Atkins

Glenn Smith

Julian Leivars

Ricardo Vasconcelos

Team of the Year

Beeston Hockey Club

Gedling Inn Football Club

Nottingham Handball Club

Nottingham Panthers

Nottinghamshire T20 Ladies

Club of the Year

Beeston Road Club

Mansfield Rugby Club

Norwood Park Golf Centre

Rushcliffe Swimming Club

West Bridgford Rugby Club

Project of the Year

Active Ashfield Stop Bullying in Sport

Mansfield Primary School Sport Partnership

Ping! Nottingham

Rushcliffe Junior Parkrun

Junior Volunteer of the Year

Claudia Southwell

Jake Fisher

Lucy Palfreyman

Matthew Hall

Samuel Stringfellow

Volunteer of the Year

Bob Truswell

Jason Ramage

John Hope

Paul Burns

Richard Weatherer

Junior Sportsperson of the Year

Anna Thornton

Ellie Downie

Henry Pak Fey Chiu

Olivia Whitelaw

Rosie Rudin

Junior Disabled Sportsperson of the Year

Ben Foulston

Holly Lounds

Joseph Seage

Megan McFarlane

Sophie Hahn

Junior Team of the Year

Ashfield RUFC U15s Girls

Beeston Hockey Club Indoor U18s Girls

Faisan Shah and James Mawbey

Nottinghamshire FA Girls U16s Squad

NSSA Icicles

Sporting School of the Year

Bilborough Sixth Form College

Nottingham Girls’ High School

Nottingham High School

The Fernwood School

The Samworth Church Academy

Roll of Honour

Paul Adcock

Peter Worth

Richard Pickering

Disabled Sportsperson of the Year

Grace Clough

Natalie Blake

Oliver Hynd

Richard Whitehead

Sophie Wells

Sportsperson of the Year

Becky Downie

Chris Adcock

Elise Christie

Isobel Pooley

Stephen Lisgo

Winners at last year’s awards ceremony included Elise Christie (Sportsperson of the Year), Tom Hibberd (Community Coach of the Year) and Nottinghamshire Leadership Academy Network (Project of the Year).

On the night of the awards final, the names of three individuals will be added to the prestigious Roll of Honour book – acknowledging outstanding contributions make to Nottinghamshire Sport, and an Achievement of the Year award will also be announced.

For more details on the awards visit www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/sport and www.sportnottinghamshire.co.uk.