THE first Cheshire West and Chester Sports Awards event has taken place to reward sporting achievement across the area.

The event took place at Ellesmere Port’s Civic Hall and the Mayor of Ellesmere Port presented the awards.

Cheshire West and Chester’s culture and recreation executive member Richard Short also attended.

Winners on the evening included:

BLOB Coach of the Year Award went to John Clements and Sue Garner.

John, from Helsby, is a qualified green bowls coach from Helsby Bowls Club and has assisted the North West regional coach in coaching instructors to become coaches.

Sue, from Chester, has been a dedicated and committed coach and umpire for Chester Netball Club for about 10 years, and more recently at Boughton Belles Netball Club in Chester for two years.

BLOB The winners of the Club of the Year Award are Deeside Ramblers Hockey Club and AFC Waverton.

Deeside Ramblers Hockey Club, based in Tarporley, is a club that supports all levels with teams in the national league, in addition to supporting primary school coaching.

AFC Waverton, based in Chester, are an established football club supporting 26 teams with a membership of over 320 young people. The club has a strong coach development programme who lead a number of successful teams.

BLOB The Disabled Sports Achievers of the Year are Anna Jackson and Samuel Mcgovern Scott, both aged 15.

Anna, from Upton, Chester, has recently decided to retire from wheelchair basketball, where she has represented Great Britain for 12 years in a variety of championships including the Paralympics.

She has recently become involved with the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust and has become one of the athletes on their Harnessing Talent Scheme.

This scheme is for retiring and retired sports performers and is designed to help athletes plan what they want to do next with their lives.

Samuel, from Christleton, attends the Manchester United Cerebral Palsy Centre of Excellence twice a week and this commitment has paid off, with him being chosen to play in the United squad.

BLOB Joseph Rainford from Ellesmere Port, received a special award for his commitment to sport.

Joseph is a member of the Ellesmere Port & Neston Special Olympics Pin Ticklers bowling league.

BLOB Volunteer of the Year winners are Graham Frost and Corrina Thorley.

Graham from Waverton, has been chairman of AFC Waverton, based in Chester. He has demonstrated a regular commitment to his role for more than 12 years supporting 26 football teams consisting of well over 300 boys and girls ranging from the ages of 4+ to 17 years.

Corrina, who is from Elton, has been involved in community volunteering for over 20 years, predominately developing and improving sporting and leisure opportunities for young people and adults with learning disabilities.

BLOB Young Volunteers of the Year include 17-year-old Emma Jones from Great Boughton who has volunteered over 200 hours in the community, in addition to the numerous hours within the Bishops High School cluster in Chester.

She has achieved the Step into Sport Gold Award, the Kelly Holmes Award and also the England Netball National Goalden Globe Award for Services to Netball.

BLOB The Young Sports Achiever of the Year Awards went to 16-year-old David Bain and Stephanie Collister, aged 14.

David, from Great Boughton, competes for Chester Canoe Club in both slalom and whitewater kayak racing.

Stephanie who lives in Wrexham but goes to Christleton High School, is a talented fencer representing Wales in a number of competitions including the Commonwealth Fencing Games.

BLOB The Special Recognition Awards went to Colin Evans and Lindsay Huddart.

Colin, from Whitby, has made a special contribution to badminton in Ellesmere Port and Chester area for the last 40 years.

Lindsay, who lives in Great Boughton, is a PE teacher and school sport co-ordinator for Bishops Bluecoat High School in Chester.

In her spare time she has set up and runs Boughton Belles Netball Club who have achieved the Clubmark Bronze Caps Accreditation this year.

Lindsay also won the Netball Teacher of the Year Award at the North West Goalden Globe Awards.

BLOB Several sports clubs were awarded with a Clubmark certificate to recognise achieving Clubmark accreditation in 2009.

These clubs were Boughton Belles Netball Club, David Lloyd Cheshire Oaks Tennis Club, Chester Volleyball Club, Neston Tennis Club, Hartford Tennis Club, Ellesmere Port City Tennis Club, Barrow Cricket Club, Barnton Cricket Club, Vicars Cross Golf Club, Northwich Multi-sports Club, Upton-by-Chester Golf Club, Helsby Bowls Club and Chester Canoe Club.

The main award winners from the Cheshire West and Chester awards will be automatically nominated as Cheshire West and Chester nominees for the Cheshire and Warrington Sports Awards which will be held on Friday, November 13.

Pic caps:

COACH OF THE YEAR: Mayor of Ellesmere Port, Cllr Tony Sherlock, presenting Cheshire West and Chester sports award for coach of the year to Sue Garner of Chester Netball Club. VH261009sports-02.jpg

BOWLED OVER: Cllr Tony Sherlock with coach of the year John Clements of Helsby Bowling Club.

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JOLLY HOCKEY: Cllr Tony Sherlock presenting Cheshire West and Chester sports award for Club of the Year to John Heath of Deeside Ramblers Hockey Club.

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CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE: Samuel McGovern-Scott, disabled sports person, with Mayor of Ellesmere Port, Cllr Tony Sherlock.

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IMPROVING OPPORTUNITIES: Cllr Tony Sherlock presenting Cheshire West and Chester sports award for Volunteer of the Year to Corinna Thorley.

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COMMITMENT: Mayor of Ellesmere Port, Cllr Tony Sherlock presenting Cheshire West and Chester sports award for Volunteer of the Year to Graham Frost of AFC Waverton.

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VOLUNTEER: Young Volunteer of the Year Emma Jones with Cllr Tony Sherlock.

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WATER WORLD: Young Sports Achiever David Bain with Cllr Tony Sherlock.

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ACHIEVEMENT: Tony Sherlock presenting Cheshire West and Chester sports award for Young Sports Achiever to Stephanie Collister.

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EVERY ONE A WINNER: The first Cheshire West and Chester Sports awards presentation night took place at Ellesmere Port Civic Hall with Cllr Tony Sherlock.

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