Grassroots athletes, coaches and clubs from all across Greater Manchester were celebrated at the prestigious annual Greater Manchester Sports Awards on Friday 4th November at the Point, Emirates Old Trafford. 2016’s Awards saw three members of Greater Manchester’s tennis community recognised for their hard work and commitment in the categories of Unsung Hero and Volunteer of the Year.
Brabyns Tennis Club’s Derek Waterfield was nominated for the Unsung Hero of the Year Award, sponsored by the Manchester United Foundation. Derek has been a volunteer at the Stockport-based club for over 35 years, where he has worked tirelessly for the benefit of the club, its members and the wider community. Derek’s selflessness in volunteering his time has been instrumental in the progression of the club in recent decades – so he was a very worthy nomination for the prestigious Greater Manchester Unsung Hero award!
Also recognised at the annual Greater Manchester Sports Awards was Urmston Tennis Club’s Chairman Chris Ryan. Chris was nominated for the overall category of Volunteer of the Year at the event on 4th November, having been crowned Trafford’s Volunteer of the Year Award. Chris’ success at the Trafford Awards was a just acknowledgment for his tireless efforts encouraging members to get involved with tennis activities at the club. As the cornerstone of the Trafford-based venue, Chris has also led from the front, encouraging existing members to promote the club and its welcoming atmosphere to new members looking to take up tennis or rediscover the sport.
Also nominated for the category of Volunteer of the Year for Greater Manchester was Ash Kaushal, Chair of Whalley Range Tennis Club. Ash’s hard work and commitment, contributing 15-20 hours a week towards the running of the club, was recognised in his being named Manchester Volunteer of the Year. The Award, and consequent nomination for the overall category at the GMSportsAwards finals was testament to his work co-ordinating league matches, managing the coaching programme and overseeing outreach into the community.
Congratulations to Derek, Chris and Ash, three very worthy winners - your dedication and commitment is an inspiration to us all!