Lancashire Sports Awards

Organised by Active Lancashire in co-ordination with each of Lancashire’s local authorities, the awards celebrate sporting achievement and showcase some of the best sporting heroes throughout the County.

The awards pay tribute to those, young and old, that show dedication to perform at the highest level or those who work tirelessly to support individuals or clubs week in, week out, for the love of sport.

The event is attended by 300-400 people each year made up of coaches, volunteers, athletes and their families with ages ranging from 8 – 98! The event is also attended by sport influencers, enthusiasts and decision makers within sports clubs, schools and organisations.

A number of districts across Lancashire hold their own awards throughout the year, the winner’s of these awards are then automatically put forward to the County Awards, with the winners being decided at a judging panel, then announced at the awards ceremony which usually takes places in November.

The awards categories have been designed with inclusivity in mind. As such, they aim to appeal to a broad range of sporting initiatives and individuals. The eleven awards categories are:

Club of the Year

This award is given to an active and well run club (Sports club, community organisation or informal group) that has undertaken great work in running development programmes which attract and retain participants, particularly those from under-represented groups, and which help their members to develop their sports potential and promote active lifestyles.

Coach of the Year

This award is presented to coaches throughout the County who have given up their time and invested their expertise, selflessly, to help those interested in sport to develop their talent and to realise their full potential.

Community Project of the Year

This award is given to an innovative project that has helped to regularly increase and sustain participation in sport and physical activity and provide alternative opportunities for people to get active. Non-traditional groups and new methods of communication and coordination could be innovations tested by these projects.

Volunteer of the Year

This award is given to the volunteer, aged 16 or above, who has given up their free time to promote and support the engagement in sport and physical activity, and made a significant impact over the past 12 months. This volunteer can be from a traditional sports background or from a wider community organisation setting.

Primary School of the Year

This award is given to a Primary School that has excelled in school sport and physical activity over the last 12 months. Community links and the impact of sport has made them stand out over the year.

Secondary School of the Year

This award is given to a Secondary School that has excelled in school sport and physical activity over the last 12 months. Community links and the impact of sport has made them stand out over the year.

Young Achiever of the Year

This award is for some of the most talented performers across the County, who show exceptional dedication to their sport and have the potential to perform at the highest level. Nominations are encouraged from those who have represented their County/Region/Country in their chosen sport.

Service to Underrepresented Groups

This award is given to an individual, coach, official or community group who has made a highly significant contribution to increase engagement and participation in an identified underrepresented group in their local area.

The Jimmy Armfield Lifetime Achievement Award

This award was renamed in 2018 to honour the late Jimmy Armfield who was an advocate of the Lancashire Sports Awards and is for an individual who has shown a consistent lifetime commitment (20+ years) and made a major contribution to community sport and active lifestyles within Lancashire.

The 2020 Sports Awards sees the introduction of two new categories:

Young Volunteer of the Year

This award is given to the volunteer, aged under 16, who has given up their free time to promote and support the engagement in sport and physical activity and made a significant impact over the past 12 months. This volunteer can be from a traditional sports background or from a wider community organisation setting.

Sports Performer of the Year

This award is presented to an individual from across the county aged 16 and up, who has had a standout achievement over the past 12 months. Nominations are encouraged from those who have represented their County/Region/Country in their chosen sport, but those who may have had achieved a standout performance across the year.

Sponsorship

Active Lancashire is a charitable organisation who would not be able to continue in holding the awards without the kind support of local organisations, thus each year we reach out to Lancashire businesses to see who would be willing to give something back to their local community. Through sponsoring an award category, organisations have the chance to show their appreciation for the inspiring individuals who go above and beyond to create sport and physical activity opportunities for all across the County. In addition to this, supporting the awards is also a great way to access Active Lancashire’s networks and to connect with like-minded partners from within the industry.

Sponsors for the 2019 awards included:

Collinson Construction
Baldwins
Banks Wealth
Davies Sports
University of Central Lancashire
Westholme School
Newground
Jones Home (Lancashire)

We are now seeking sponsors for the 2020 Collinson Construction Lancashire Sports Awards.

If you are interested in supporting the Lancashire Sports Awards and wish to find out more about what’s included, please contact Sadie Riley on sriley@activelancashire.org.uk or call 01772 299830.

2020 Awards

The Lancashire Sports Awards 2020 is currently awaiting confirmation on a date and venue. With between 300-400 in attendance, the evening always promises to be a fun-filled night with a brilliant, celebratory atmosphere.