Nominations for the Get Berkshire Active Awards will open in late September 2017.
Last Year's Winners
Lifetime Achievement Award
Jacqueline Scoins-Cass
Jacqueline is the founder and head coach of Thames Valley Kings Wheelchair Basketball Club. She is always looking to give opportunities to both children and adults and works hard to grow not only the club but the sport of Wheelchair Basketball. Jacqueline does all of her work for the Thames Valley Kings as a volunteer, and as well as her work for the club she also chairs the South East Wheelchair Basketball association and Thatcham Sports Network. Jacqueline was instrumental in raising £40,000 for her club to help fund much needed new wheelchairs. Jacqueline’s hard work and dedication was instrumental in the Thames Valley Kings winning British Wheelchair Basketball’s ‘Club of the Year’ Award for 2016.
Kevin McGoldrick
Kevin is a physiotherapist for Slough Town Football Club, and has been for the last 32 years! He has smiled his way throughout triumph and tribulation, taking care of a great number of players. Kevin often goes beyond the call of duty, treating players injuries in his spare time and always checking up on the progress of players’ recoveries. He is well-known throughout the non-league football scene as not only a top physio, but also as a true gentleman. In an ever changing environment Kevin’s uncompromising professionalism, dedication and willingness to help people is both inspirational and enlightening, and it is little wonder that so many people respect and look up to him.
Junior Sports Personality of the Year
Katie Crowhurst
Katie is a 12 year old visually impaired Para Swimmer. She trains 7 days a week to achieve her dreams of one day representing Team GB in the Paralympics. Katie has had a hugely successful 2016, achieving the following; 7 gold medals at the Berkshire and South Bucks County Championships, breaking the British Record for S13 200m butterfly, qualifying for 4 finals in the British Para International Competition, winning 3 medals at the South East Regionals and making 5 finals at the prestigious ASA Nationals, picking up a bronze medal.
Youth Engagement Project of the Year
RBWM Outdoor Education Project Girls Group
The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead Outdoor Education Project Girls Group was designed to ensure physical activity was available to all. This project was specifically for young Asian women, many of who were presented with a series of first time experiences. Despite many of the girls initially having no interest in physical activity, they engaged in 6 weeks of indoor wall climbing and 6 weeks of fitness/basketball. Sessions were modified to meet the needs of the group, with sessions being female-led and held in locations allowing privacy. 10 of the girls achieved an ASDAN Activities and Peer Mentoring Short Course Award, and 12 girls completed the physical section of their bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award. The girls who attended significantly grew in confidence and expanded their willingness to try new things.
Team Performance of the Year
Bracknell Gymnastics Senior Mens Team
Bracknell Gymnsatics Senior Men’s Team have grown from a recreational team to an international force in British TeamGym. They are the reigning British Champions after winning the British Championship Series in Liverpool. Six of the members were selected to represent Great Britain at the European Championships, and broke the GB record for Trampette. The mixed team broke the GB record for highest overall team score, highest tumble score and highest floor score- finishing in 4th place overall.
Community Club of the Year
Royal Windsor Rollergirls
Royal Windsor Rollergirls proudly offers an inclusive, empowering and welcoming atmosphere to anybody who attends. The safe and encouraging environment that is on offer has given opportunities to many women in the local community who had grown up to believe that sport was not for them. The Royal Windsor Rollergirls value themselves on increasing confidence in women, on developing promising young talent and raising the profile of LGBT friendly sport. The coaches are always looking for ways to increase inclusivity and adjustments have been made for members with ASD and hearing difficulties to ensure they are able to participate.
Coach of the Year
Seb Reynolds
Seb is a personal trainer and rugby coach. He runs a 6am boot camp for women, and has encouraged many new people to start over the last year. The new ‘6am-ers’ all have different goals and commitments but Seb can adapt his sessions to a wide variety of people. Every new person is amazed to find that most of the ‘6am-ers’ have attended for 7 years, this is all down to Seb. On top of his personal training, Seb has established himself as a first rate rugby coach. He is the backs coach for Redingensians Rams and has also more recently taken on the Colts. Seb also coordinates rugby camps for children during school holidays. Recently Seb set up and coached a ladies rugby team (The Sirens) who will soon be entering a competitive league.
Volunteer of the Year
Dan West
Dan is currently a student, who volunteers both in school sport and sport within the community. Dan has attained his Sports Leaders UK Level 2 Award in Sports Leadership, and now delivers high quality, inspirational coaching sessions to youngsters in Primary Schools. Dan was selected as one of the School Sports Ambassadors and played a key role in helping to set up and run a PE Students Voice Team. Dan also helped to establish and run an extra-curricular KS3 Dodgeball and alternative sports club, targeting those not normally involved in school sport. On numerous occasions Dan volunteered in local Primary Schools, even when on study leave. He also coaches the U15 Rugby Team at Newbury Rugby Football Club twice a week, as well at coaching Eton 5s to younger students in the school.
Health Project of the Year
Falkland Cricket Club - Access to Physical Activity Programme
In early 2016, Falkland Cricket Club approached Greenham Common Trust for financial support to run an ‘Access to Physical Activity Programme’ for those with disabilities. The target group were predominantly over 18 with learning difficulties or acquired brain injuries. Transport was offered to participants, and 57 individuals registered for the 18-week programme. The project was so successful, that it has developed into an indoor winter programme, and will continue through 2017. The programme provided participants with the opportunity to develop physical, team and social skills, as well as having fun.
Workplace of the Year
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is a large organisation with hospitals at Wexham Park, Slough, Ascot, Windsor, Maidenhead and Camberley. An important ethos is caring for the staff who care for the patients, and an increase in staff engagement has a direct impact on patient care. Many staff members actively get involved in local events such as ‘Women’s Sport Week’, local 10k runs and health & wellbeing days. It is recognised that a healthy workforce is required to deliver the best possible care for the local population, as well as role modelling for the patients. The organisation signed up to the Workplace Challenge during ‘Shake Up September’ and made the podium.
Active Primary School
Wooden Hill Primary School
Wooden Hill children are given a wide range of opportunities to be physically active throughout the school day. Children are also given a platform to showcase their talents in a variety of sporting competitions. They hope to inspire more children coming through the school to be active for life.
Active Secondary School
St Barts
St Barts is a thriving Secondary School which prides itself on offering the students as many wide and varied opportunities as possible to encourage an inclusive approach to sport for all ages and abilities. Whilst excelling in major sports our sporting diversity encompasses areas not commonly experienced in many schools.
Sports Personality of the Year
Jeanette Chippington
Jeanette is a Paralympian who has succeeded in more than one event. She started her sporting career as a swimmer and after being talent spotted as a youngster, she found herself travelling to Seoul to compete in the Paralympic Games in 1988. Jeanette had a successful first Paralympic Games, coming back with a Silver Medal. Jeannette went on to compete at the Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens Games winning 12 medals in total and setting a new world record in the process. Athens was Jeanette’s last Games as a swimmer, however after a change in sport, she made a comeback to competitive sport in 2013 as a Paracanoist. Jeanette became the world number 1 in the KL1 200m Paracanoe sprint in 2013, a title that she has won several times since then. She went on to make history as the first ever Paralympic gold medallist in the women’s KL 200m Paracanoe Sprint in Rio 2016 Games.