Black Country Success at the West Midlands Community Sports Awards

Clive Allen, basketball coach from Dudley won the Community Coach of the Year award at last night’s West Midlands Community Sports Awards.

Sports men and women from across the West Midlands graced the red carpet on Thursday evening (27 November), at Villa Park, Birmingham as the West Midlands County Sports Partnership Network played host to the 2014 West Midlands Community Sports Awards, sponsored by the Association of Colleges West Midlands.

The winners from last night’s event battled it out against some of the region’s best at the star studded awards ceremony hosted by BBC Midlands Today presenters Nick Owen and Mary Rhodes.

Over 300 people attended the event, including Commonwealth Games and Winter Olympic sporting stars, Invictus Games medallists, amateur and professional sports people, volunteers, sports development professionals and leading local figures.  The evening included a drinks reception and dinner and the awards ceremony was filmed live and shown on BBC Midlands Today news.

Guests in attendance included Commonwealth Games gold medal winning gymnast Kristian Thomas and Paralympic Skier Anna Turney.  

Organised by the 6 County Sports Partnerships in the West Midlands in partnership with the Association of Colleges West Midlands, this celebration of local sport recognised the quality, commitment and dedication of grass-roots sport in the region.

The Black Country BeActive Partnership is one of the six West Midland County Sports Partnerships that joined forces to showcase and celebrate the work of high performing individuals, dedicated volunteers and groups from around the region with the presentation of eight awards.

5 local finalists represented the Black Country at this regional event – they were all winners from Black Country Sport and Physical Activity Awards, organised by the Black Country BeActive Partnership.

Clive Allen, crowned Community Coach of the Year at last night’s West Midlands Community Sports Awards won the accolade after battling it out against 5 of the region’s top Community Coaches.

Clive is Mr Basketball in the Black Country who commands the respect of everyone – and not just because he stands out at 6’ 8”.  As Head Coach in Dudley and for the Albion Foundation, Clive has introduced thousands of primary school students to the sport. His infectious enthusiasm for the game immediately engages young people and his delivery always leaves a lasting impression - a worthy winner of this award.

The winner of the BBC Midlands Sports Unsung Hero Award, Denis Neenan from Birmingham, will now go on to represent the West Midlands at the 61st BBC Sports Personality of the Year Show in Glasgow on Sunday 14th December and will be shown live on BBC One.

The evening’s programme included inspirational footage of finalists in action filmed by Birmingham University media students and highlights of the 2014 sporting year.

Richie Woodall, former boxer, was entered into the BBC Sporting Hall of Fame and Neil (Nello) Baldwin was awarded the BBC Special Achievement award by former Stoke City Manager Lou Macari.

The full list of award winners are:
Community Coach of the Year – sponsored by Sport Structures
Clive Allen – Basketball

Community Project of the Year – sponsored by the West Midlands Country Sports Partnership Network
Climbing Out - Kelda Wood

Community Club of the Year – sponsored by University of Birmingham
Shifnal Cricket Club 

BBC Local Radio Newcomer of the Year
Evie Richards 

AoC Inspirational Sport Student of the Year
Daniel Wyatt 
 
BBC Midlands Sports Unsung Hero
Denis Neenan   

BBC Midlands Sporting Hall of Fame
Richie Woodhall

BBC Special Achievement
Neil (Nello) Baldwin   

Simon Hall, Director of the Black Country BeActive Partnership said: "The evening was a fantastic culmination to a very rewarding year for sport across the West Midlands.  The Black Country BeActive Partnership has been at the forefront of this and we are absolutely delighted that the dedication, performance and commitment of our local sporting stars has been recognised and celebrated at a regional level.  As a regional network we would like to thank our principal sponsor, the Association on Colleges, for their continued support in making this event happen, and we were delighted to be able to announce the first AoC Inspirational Sport Student of the Year at this event. 

He concluded: "2014 has been a great year for sport.  As well as significant sporting performance nationally and internationally we have seen more people taking part in sport, more coaches, more volunteers and more community projects than ever before.”

Steve Sawbridge, Regional Director of the Association of Colleges West Midlands said: "Another fantastic event recognising the tremendous range of sporting talent in the West Midlands - from grass roots sport to elite competition.  Tonight’s event reflects the strong partnerships that we are developing between colleges and their County Sports Partnerships as we jointly work to increase participation in  sport and realise the wider benefits of an active lifestyle.

"Along with our own award winner and finalists we are very proud to be associated with the achievements of everyone who has been recognised this evening.  We look forward to continuing to support the work of the region’s CSPs in the coming year and to wish the individuals, clubs and volunteers continued success.”
 
Organisers of the event have hailed the evening as a great success and a fitting celebration of local sporting talent and commitment.  Already inundated with positive feedback, plans are already underway for 2015.

- ENDS -

The winner’s information is as follows:

COMMUNITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR
This award recognises an innovative project which uses sport to improve the quality of life of the people in the region.
WINNER - CLIMBING OUT – KELDA WOOD
Climbing Out works with young people facing life changing injury or illness. They run 5 day residential outdoor activity programmes that aim to help the participants regain their confidence and self-esteem and give them the opportunity to realise what they can still achieve despite the challenges they face.

COMMUNITY COACH OF THE YEAR
This award recognises the achievements of a paid or unpaid coach who has made a significant impact on those they have coached and is committed to providing more opportunities for people to start, stay and succeed in sport
WINNER - CLIVE ALLEN – BASKETBALL
Clive is Mr Basketball in the Black Country who commands the respect of everyone – and not just because he stands out at 6’ 8”. As Head Coach in Dudley, Clive has introduced thousands of primary school students to the sport. His infectious enthusiasm for the game immediately engages young people and his delivery always leaves a lasting impression.

COMMUNITY CLUB OF THE YEAR
This award recognises a community sports club that provides a high quality sports environment for its members.
WINNER - SHIFNAL CRICKET CLUB
Shifnal are the first Shropshire cricket club to be granted Clubmark status. Firmly established in the Birmingham & District Premier League, they field 11 League teams - 4 senior men’s, 1 women’s and 6 age group sides ranging from 7 to 16 year olds. The club aims to foster and promote cricket, tennis and bowls at all levels within the community and within the sport, providing opportunities for recreation, socialising, coaching and competition.

BBC LOCAL RADIO NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
This award recognises the achievements of a club, team or individual in their first year of participation in their chosen sport, activity or role.
WINNER - EVIE RICHARDS
17 year old Evie, from Malvern Cycle sport, is currently ranked 1st in England for Junior Mountain Biking Cross Country and 2nd in Great Britain after a great year which has seen her claim five winners podium places and four second places. She was selected to race for Great Britain at the World Junior Championships in Norway in September where she finished sixth.

BBC MIDLANDS SPORTS UNSUNG HERO AWARD
Now in its 11th year, this award recognises the achievements of those people who inspire others to get involved in playing sport in their communities for no personal reward.
WINNER - DENIS NEENAN
Denis joined Erin Go Bragh Gaelic Sports club in Birmingham in 1966 as a 12 year old immigrant from Ireland. Since then he has set up from scratch numerous teams for Gaelic Football, Camogie and Hurling, for young people and adults alike. He also set up a charity to help run the local sports club house and playing fields and has embarked upon endless fundraising in order to pay for the upkeep of the facilities.

AoC’s INSPIRATIONAL SPORT STUDENT OF THE YEAR
Representing some of the very best examples of why sport matters to further education.
WINNER - DANIEL WYATT
Daniel has proved himself to be very passionate person when it comes to sport, whether improving his own sports performance or that of his team mates and also in terms of his academic work. He has been very supportive in helping his peers and team mates develop their playing and coaching skills, and has shown others how sport can be used to help young people in the local community.
Daniel has also shown others how this dedication and commitment can be used to open a range of other coaching and career opportunities due to the exposure he has received in and around Bournville College.

BBC MIDLANDS SPORTING HALL OF FAME
Recognising lifetime achievement and services to sport and the community, as an individual or team
WINNER - RICHIE WOODALL

BBC SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT
WINNER - Neil (Nello) Baldwin   

For media comment please contact Joanne Taylor on 01384 471139.

Editor’s notes

The Black Country BeActive Partnership is the County Sports Partnership for Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.  To find out more visit www.blackcountrybeactive.co.uk

County Sports Partnerships (CSPs) are networks of local agencies committed to working together to increase participation in sport and physical activity. Partners include National Governing Bodies of Sport and their clubs, school sport partnerships, local authorities, sport and leisure facilities, primary care trusts and many other sport and non-sporting organisations. CSPs are led by a strategic board supported by a central team of professional staff who provide leadership, coordination and structures which allow people and organisations to work more effectively together at a sub-regional level. For further details visit www.cspnetwork.org

The Association of Colleges (AoC) represents the interests of over 350 further education, sixth form, and specialist colleges in England including 40 in the West Midlands region.  Nationally colleges:
• Educate and train over 900,000 people aged 16 to 18 including 185,000 young people taking A-levels and 70,000 apprentices
• Provide 30% of the students aged under 19 who enter higher education
• Educate and train over two million adults including 144,00 who study higher education courses at colleges
AoC Sport, an AoC subsidiary company, is the lead membership organisation for college sport and physical activity.  For more information visit www.aoc.co.uk 

For more details on the event please contact Andy Knowles on andy@westmidlandscommunitysportsawards.co.uk