Nominations Open for the Devon Sports Awards 2018

Nominations have opened for the 2018 Devon Sports Awards and it is hoped that 2018 will be a bumper year. The organisers, Active Devon, The Exeter Foundation and Exeter College are urging people from all sports, at all levels, to make sure that they seize the opportunity to celebrate their clubs, coaches, volunteers and sports stars.

For clubs, businesses, coaches and community sports people alike, the Devon Sports Awards is a prestigious annual event which celebrate hard work and achievement across a number of different categories.

Now in their twenty-first year, the Awards celebrate the very best of community sport right across Devon and finalists will be invited to a glittering ceremony on June 22nd 2018 at which there will be a special sporting hero as guest speaker.

“It was a truly inspirational evening!” said Matthew Rhymer the winner of the 2017 Devon Young Coach of the Year award. “It was a privilege to be amongst all the incredible sports coaches, athletes and volunteers that shape the success of sport across Devon”.

“Over the last two decades the Devon Sports Awards has honoured in excess of six hundred people and clubs. They have helped countless thousands of people in Devon, of all ages and from all backgrounds, to get into sport, stay active or reach fantastic sporting heights.” said Matt Evans, Chief Executive of Active Devon.

Online nominations have now opened and if you’d like to see a coach, club, volunteer or businesses honoured at the event, nominations can be made online at www.activedevon.org/dsa2018. Anybody can nominate someone who inspires them and every nomination will be carefully considered by an expert judging panel who come from all backgrounds and bring vast experience to the judging process.

Once again the role of businesses that support their local communities and their staff welfare by encouraging them to get fit and active will be recognised. Two awards are on offer for Business Contribution to Sport in the Community and Business Contribution to Staff Well Being through Sporting Activity.

“Each year the Devon Sports Awards aim to recognise as many people as possible who contribute to all levels of sport throughout Devon” said Tony Rowe OBE, Chairman of the Exeter Foundation. “The county has a proud sporting history and it is a privilege of the Exeter Foundation to be able to celebrate this and the bright future of sport in Devon.”

John Laramy, Principal and Chief Executive of Exeter College, said: “As an Ofsted Outstanding college, we are committed to sport and physical activity. We’ve invested in new sports facilities and have recently completed a state of the art 3G pitch for the use of the wider local community as well as our own learners. In the coming year, we have further plans for a new dance floor and gym.

“I’m also pleased to report that our sports academies, in partnership with Exeter’s leading sports clubs, are thriving. I’m delighted that the college has the opportunity to support this event again in a 12 months that has seen Exeter become a Sport England local delivery pilot. I think this shows that, with the right ambition and the right leadership, Devon can be a national exemplar for staying active and sport.”

The 2018 categories are:

Devon Coach of the Year

Devon Young Coach of the Year

Devon Volunteer of the Year

Devon Young Volunteer of the Year

Contribution to Inclusive Sport

Devon Club of the Year

Business Contribution to Sport in the Community

Business Contribution to Staff Well Being through Sporting Activity

Performances in Community Sport

You can nominate right through to the end of March and nomination forms for both the business categories and the core sporting categories are online at www.activedevon.org/dsa2018