Nominations are now open for the Active Essex Sports Awards 2018, an annual event that celebrates the outstanding achievements of sporting organisations and individuals.
The event recognises local sporting heroes from grassroots to an elite level, and following last year’s great response, public votes have returned for three of the 11 awards – including the ‘Disabled Sports Personality of the Year’ category.
The award celebrates athletes who have made a significant impact in the last year at a national or international level, either individually or as part of a team. The award is open to all ages and disabilities.
Last year, the award was won by Harlow-based Paralympic athlete Richard Chiassaro, who started wheelchair racing in 2009 and represented Team GB in Rio 2016 in the T54 100m, 400m, 800m and 4x400m relay.
Richard said: “It was a fantastic honour to receive the Disabled Sports Personality of the Year award last year. The ceremony was an inspirational night and gave me a big platform to thank everyone who has supported me over the last decade.
“I urge everyone to think of someone who has gone the extra mile in disability sport at national or international level and vote for them now to give them the recognition they truly deserve.”
Meanwhile, the Services to Inclusive Sport award is for an individual or organisation that has made a significant contribution in the last year to advancing sport and physical activity for people with disabilities.
In addition, the other two categories to be decided by public vote are the Sports Personality of the Year and Unsung Hero awards. The ceremony takes place at Chelmsford City Racecourse on December 5.
Azeem Akhtar, Chair of Active Essex, said: “The annual sports awards highlight those who are making outstanding contributions to inclusive sport and physical activity across the county and are inspiring others to get active. We’d like to see as many nominations as possible this year.”
Olympic champion Max Whitlock, of South Essex Gymnastics Club, will present the Young Sports Personality of the Year award at this year’s ceremony.
Nominations can be made via https://www.activeessex.org/sports-awards-2018 before 21st October 2018.
2018 award categories
- Active in the Workplace
- Changing lives through sport and physical activity – sponsored by Fusion Lifestyle
- Coach of the Year – sponsored by Everyone Active
- Community Club of the Year – sponsored by Genesis PR
- Disabled Sports Personality of the Year
- Education Champion of the Year – sponsored by Jump Street
- Services to Inclusive Sport
- Sports Personality of the Year – sponsored by Chelmsford City Racecourse
- Unsung Hero – sponsored by Spotlight Sound
- Young Sports Personality of the Year
- Young Volunteer
Active Essex is the Physical Activity and Sport Partnership for Greater Essex. It was formed in 2013 and continues to deliver a lasting legacy to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
See www.activeessex.org.
In June 2017, Active Essex launched a new four-year strategy to tackle the issues around inactivity and change 1 million lives by getting Essex active.
Active Essex will focus on four main priorities as part of the 1 million strategy: to drive and sustain participation in physical activity; improve health and wellbeing amongst specific groups who are currently inactive; develop the people and organisations who work or volunteer in the sector and strengthen local partnerships and networks.
Active Essex is a key partner in the delivery of the Essex Local Delivery Pilot. Essex is one of only 12 places in the country to be part of this game changing Sport England initiative and will benefit from a share of around £100 million of National Lottery funding.
