Contact the Sports Development
Officer
Email:
sports@forest-heath.gov.uk
Tel: 01638 719763
The sports development team works closely with schools,
clubs, coaches and facilities to improve access to sport and
physical activity for all sectors of the community.
Sports Awards 2009
Celebrating Sporting
Success
WASP Awards Leave Winners
Buzzing
The fourth annual West Anglia Sports Partnership (WASP) sports
awards evening was held at Newmarket Leisure Centre on Sunday 6
December. Supported by Forest Heath District Council and Newmarket
Journal the evening was opened with a tremendous performance from
the Norwich Synchronised Swimming Team.
Short-listed candidates from nine
categories came from all over the district to receive recognition
for their efforts as participants, coaches and volunteers during
2009.
Whilst this was a celebration of sport
in general and every effort was made to recognise the achievements
of all those in the room, the winners were celebrated with style
and given generous applause by those present. Undoubtedly
Mildenhall Cricket Club will have been extremely pleased with their
evening. The Junior Teams walked away with team of the year in
recognition of their exceptional performances this season, whilst
junior cricketer, Lily Reynolds, was celebrated as Junior Sports
Personality of the Year.
Elsewhere, Scaltback Middle School in Newmarket will be justifiably
proud having picked up the School of the Year Award as will West
Row Bowls Club who walked away as Club of the Year.
The most prestigious awards of the
evening were kept until the end of the ceremony. Both the Forest
Heath District Council Service to Sport Award and the Newmarket
Journal Sports Personality of the Year awards proved extremely
difficult for the judges to choose a winner. Pat Widger was awarded
the Service to Sport Award for over 40 years coaching Gymnastics
and Newmarket’s own 2012 Rowing hopeful Ben Hicks was a worthy
winner of Sports Personality of the Year.
Other winners were Sarah Stokes who
was awarded the Contribution to Disability Sport Award and Claire
Thompson won Coach of the Year with the Ray Wells Spirit of the
Games Award going to three young Basketball Coaches, Karlynn
Edgeller, Chloe Baker and Katy Merryweather.
Cllr. Brian Keane, Cultural Services
Champion for Forest Heath District Council said commented that
‘Community Sports Clubs play an integral part in offering high
quality sports provision across the district. Many are non profit
making and dependant on a small army of volunteers who offer their
services week in week out to coach, referee, maintain the grounds
and clean the clubhouse. The awards evening celebrate the breadth
and quality of sport offered by these clubs.’
Community Sports Coaches
In partnership with Suffolk Sport, our community sports
coaches deliver a range of activities, which provides opportunities
for children aged 8-15 to participate in the sport of their choice.
The team is also engaged in a range of projects aimed at increasing
the number of, and improving existing, sporting
facilities.
Sports Development Grants
Sports development grants are available, including the Coach
Education Award for people wishing to become qualified sports
coaches, and the Sports Excellence Award for sportsmen and women
looking for financial assistance to help them reach the top of
their sport.
Application
Form (pdf
download 100kb)
Guidance
Notes (pdf
download 70kb)
Forest Heath has a wide variety of community sports clubs
that are open to all.
SportsClubGuide.pdf
Swimming and sports courses
For more information on Sports Development projects across Suffolk,
see the
Suffolk
Sport
website.