International success by Broxbourne’s best sporting talent and the work of volunteers at clubs were celebrated at the Active Broxbourne Sports Awards.
Shining stars of the Borough’s sporting community gathered at the Spotlight in Hoddesdon on Wednesday 29 November for a special award ceremony hosted by Sky Sports’ Formula One commentator, David Croft.
Presentations were interspersed by routines from local dance groups, Vallé Academy, and Cheshunt Dance and Performing Arts School. Sapphire Elite Cheerleaders kicked things off to provide a lift to proceedings right away.
David also hosted a question and answer session with four of the Borough’s rising talents. England netball international Georgina Fisher, Olympic hopeful, canoeist Bethan Furrow, Paralympic hopeful, cyclist Drew Walker and England Under-17 footballer Grace Neville shared their stories.
Tributes were paid to the founder of Turnford Netball Club, Maureen Ball, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Founded by Maureen in 1967, the club has gone on to compete at the highest national levels, has over 300 members and produces England players. Maureen also set up the Turnford Summer Netball League, the Broxbourne and District Netball League, coached the Hertfordshire County under-18s squad and initiated the Back to Netball scheme in 2000.
To recognise Maureen’s positive impact her name was added to an award.
Winners were:
- Maureen Ball Female Community Coach of the Year – Brenda Brewer, the founder of Cheshunt Netball Club in 1993
- Male Community Coach of the Year – Noel Griffin from St Joseph’s Gaelic Football Club for coaching and his life-saving intervention
- Volunteer of the Year – Nikki Dean of Cheshunt Rugby Club
- Young Sportsperson of the Year – Phoebe Spicer, who represented Team GB at the European and World Under-23 Canoe Slalom Championships and at the Senior Women’s World Cup
- Sportsperson of the Year – Georgina Fisher, who won her first England cap, turned professional with Wasps Netball and won the Vitality Netball Superleague
- The Mayor’s Award for Service to Sport – Joy Spriggs, who founded Jason Theatre School in 1951 and has helped thousands of children in achieving dreams of becoming dancers, actors and singers
- Outstanding Contribution to Primary School Sport – Four Swannes Primary School
- Outstanding Contribution to Secondary School Sport – The John Warner School
- Community Club of the Year – won jointly by Cheshunt Football Club, which puts great effort into community engagement, social awareness projects, disability football work and rail safety work with Network Rail, all the while finding success on the football pitch, and Mayhem Theatre Arts, which gained two thirds of nominations for this award for developing children’s confidence, self-esteem, and skills
- Outstanding Contribution to Disability and Inclusive Sport – won jointly by Broxbourne Cerebral Palsy Football Club and Hertfordshire Harriers Disability Cricket Club. Both clubs are run by volunteers. The former was founded two years ago and has 25 children of varying mobility levels playing every week. The Harriers were formed 26 years ago and caters for people with any disability except blindness. The emphasis is both on participation and building friendships.
- Outstanding Contribution to Charity through Sport – Bakers and Sweeps, a Boxing Day football match in Waltham Cross which has raised money for good causes since 1909.
- Team Achievement of the Year – Joint winners Broxbourne Borough FC’s Under-18 team, the lowest ranked side ever to reach the last 16 of the FA Youth Cup, Cheshunt Dance and Performing Arts School, which represented England at the Dance World Cup, and Broxbourne Rowing Club’s Masters Team, who won gold at the World Masters Rowing Championships at Lake Bled in Slovenia in the coxless G4 category; boats of four rowers with an average age of 65.
Nominations for Broxbourne’s Youth Awards 2018 have now opened. People can put forward youngsters and those who provide services for them at https://www.broxbourne.gov.uk/youthawards
