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Nominations for this year’s Sport Awards will officially open on Monday July 8, providing the chance to celebrate volunteers, coaches, and clubs across the community.

The Sport Awards, which is hosted by the council, celebrates excellence in various categories, including community coach of the year, inclusive coach of the year, young volunteer of the year, volunteer of the year, lifetime achievement award, and club of the year.

Award categories and criteria

Community coach of the year

• Recognises an exceptional volunteer coach contributing significantly to sport in their community.
• Looking for: Impact on access to sport, community cohesion, health and wellbeing, safeguarding participants, development of coaching practice, innovative practice.

Inclusive coach of the year

• Honours a coach dedicated to working with specific target groups (women and girls, BAME, disability, and deprivation).
• Looking for: Impact on access to sport, inspiration within mainstream or dedicated environments, wider impact on coached individuals, person centred engagement, innovative practice.

Young volunteer of the year

• Celebrates a young volunteer (18 or under) making significant contributions to sport/physical activity.
• Looking for: Creativity and determination in volunteering, inspiration and support to others, wider impact on supported individuals, innovative practice.

Volunteer of the year

• Recognises a volunteer (18 or older) showing high commitment and dedication in sport.
• Looking for: Creativity and determination in volunteering, inspiration and support to others, wider impact on supported individuals, community engagement, innovative practice.

Lifetime achievement

• Acknowledges long-term dedication and significant impact on sport provision within the community.
• Looking for: Dedication to person centred volunteering, sustained achievements, wider community impact, importance to their organisation/community, supportive quotes.

Club of the year

• Celebrates clubs making outstanding contributions to sport within the community.
• Looking for: Club growth, development of coaches/volunteers, community impact, recent achievements, supportive quotes.

To submit a nomination, press the link here. Nominations will close on Friday August 23.