A fine footballing servant has completed a hat-trick of prestigious accolades.
Wendy Chambers, who has worked tirelessly for the thriving St Ives Rangers youth football club for the past 13 years, won the Services to Sport crown at the Living Sport Sports Awards last week.
Chambers, who also serves the Hunts Mini-Soccer League with distinction, collected the prize at the Thursday bash held at the Burgess Hall in St Ives to follow up her 2017 FA People’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Football and Hunts FA Outstanding Contribution to Community Football prizes.
Chambers was not the only winner of a Living Sport accolade this year - there was double delight for Hunts AC.
Charlotte Bruce scooped the Community Volunteer of the Year gong in recognition of her fine efforts for the local club.
Bruce was left as Hunts AC’s only judge for track and field events this year - overseeing five club championship meets, two intra-club meets, one Eastern Masters League meet, four Southern Athletics League meets and five East Anglian League meets.
Bruce has also dedicated herself to gaining top qualification levels and mentored a junior official in training. She is described as the ‘ultimate volunteer’ by club vice-chairman Wayne DuBose.
Hunts AC member Sandra Acton won the Jonnie Peacock Award which goes to someone who has overcome adversity to follow their sporting dreams.
Acton, who has cerebral palsy, is a regular and popular fixture on the local athletics scene. She competes in a wide range of events on the track and also completed her first 10k race earlier this year.
Acton has also taken on a judging role for the club and officiating at 12 meets this year.
The St Ivo School was recognised for its fine contribution to sport with the Secondary School of the Year award.
The school has enjoyed national and international success in girls’ football in recent years. The St Ivo physical education department provides sports as varied as rugby, orienteering, badminton, netball, football, trampolining, athletics, hockey and swimming and also offers a host of extra-curricular activities.
Huntingdon Gymnastics Club man Ben Howells collected the Coach of the Year award. Howells is head boys coach at the renowned local club and is steering the career of rising star Jake Jarman, who has enjoyed English, British and international success in the past year.
Living Sport is the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough County Sports Partnership (CSP), one of 45 such bodies across England.
Full list of winners at the Living Sport Sports Awards:
Coach of the Year (sponsored by BGL) – Ben Howells
Community Club of the Year (sponsored by Birketts) – Cambridge Gymnastics Club
Community Volunteer of the Year (sponsored by Support Cambridgeshire) – Charlotte Bruce
Disabled Sports Performer of the Year (sponsored by Anglia Ruskin University) – Dan Roper
Jonnie Peacock Award – Sandra Acton
Matthew Warn Power of Sport Award (sponsored by 3B Design & Print) - Cambridge United Community Trust
Primary School of the Year (sponsored by Everyone Health) – St Laurence Catholic Primary School
Secondary School of the Year (sponsored by Rawlinsons) – St Ivo School
Services to Sport (sponsored by Abbeycroft Leisure) – Wendy Chambers
Sports Performer of the Year (sponsored by CBA Asbestos Ltd) – Tom Westley
Team of the Year (sponsored by Grosvenor) – Ely City Football Club
Workplace of the Year (sponsored by Anglian Water) – Cambridge City Council
Young Community Volunteer of the Year (sponsored by Cambridge Sport Lakes Trust) – Ellie Allen
Young Sports Performer of the Year (sponsored by Chromasport) – Charlie Rolls
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