Sports coaches and volunteers from across Caerphilly County Borough have been honoured for their work at a special awards ceremony.
Scrum V presenter Rick O’Shea, Paralympic athlete Hollie Arnold and the Mayor of Caerphilly County Borough Council Cllr Michael Gray presented awards at the Sport Caerphilly Volunteer Awards Evening at Bryn Meadows Golf, Hotel and Spa – held on November 27.
There were six winners announced during the evening:
- Young Volunteer of the Year – Holly Horton.
- Volunteer of the Year – Tyler Smith
- Coach of the Future of the Year – Jack Mullen
- Coach to Disabled Athletes of the Year – Katie Bunston
- Coach of the Year – Lowri Edwards
- Special Achievement Award – Tom Morgan
Cllr Dave Poole, Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services, presented the Young Volunteer of the Year Award and commented: “At Caerphilly County Borough Council one of our priorities is to improve awareness, access, variety and use of leisure, community and sporting facilities.
“We can only do this through the hard work and dedication of our Sport and Leisure Services Team, and of course the coaches and volunteers who motivate, inspire, mentor and train people in our county borough.
“Every person who has received a nomination for an award is truly deserving and should be recognised for giving their time to improve the health and wellbeing of all our residents.”
Guests were also inspired by two-time Paralympian, Hollie Arnold, who first competed in the Paralympic Games in Beijing at the young age of 14.
This year, at the age of 19, she became the World Champion in her event, F46 Javelin, at the IPC Athletics World Championships.
She said: “Coaches are never praised enough for what they do and the time that they give.
“In London 2012, Gamemakers and Volunteers played such an important part of the success of the games.”
Broadcaster Rick O’Shea said: “I’m very lucky working for Scrum V. I get to meet a lot of amazing people and I have never been more humbled than being in this room this evening. Not everyone will go on to be an Olympic athlete, but the fact that there are people in this room encouraging people to do it is what life, and sport, is all about.”