Awards recognise Special School's sporting successes |
Pupils and teachers at a special school are celebrating a double success at a major sports ceremony.
Cicely Haughton Special School’s football team was named Lafarge Cement team of the year at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council’s Sports Awards on 25 April. The Wetley Rocks-based school has 50 pupils and only 18 of the correct age range for the team, yet the side was named joint champion of the Cheadle and District Sports Association League last season. Prior to entering the school, few pupils had ever represented their previous schools at any sport. And team boss Jason Bould, of Leek, was named coach of the year at the awards. As well as coaching children with significant behavioural, social and learning difficulties, Jason studied and funded a coaching qualification in his own time. He also helped the school secure an Active Sportsmark award and often takes the pupils home after matches, who live up to 25 miles away. His role has improved the children’s self-esteem and confidence.
The ceremony took place at Whiston Village Hall in front of around 150 civic dignitaries and invited guests. The awards recognise sporting achievements over the last 12 months. They were given after a rigorous nomination and judging process which started last November and saw sports councils in Biddulph, Cheadle and Leek highlight local achievers.
Race organiser Glen Marriott won the Alan Hurst special achievement accolade, in recognition of his volunteering work in arranging the English Cross Country Association Championships at Alton Towers. He also arranged over 13 club races for 4,000 runners.
Tean Valley netball treasurer Sue Plant was Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent volunteer of the year. The award recognises her work including affiliating over 100 players, banking training and match fees and paying league fees for over 10 years. Sue has helped to access grant aid from the Cheadle and District Sports Council and from the ‘Give it Sum’ foundation.
Pictured above: Mark Thornewill, SASSOT Partnership Director presenting Sue Plant Fourteen-year-old swimmer Eleanor Jones was named junior achiever of the year. In the last 12 months Eleanor, from Biddulph, has achieved a string of successes including qualifying for the British championships, winning silver and bronze at the northern district age group championships and winning five gold medals at the Staffordshire county championships. Her training schedule sees her travel to Stockport before and after school, and complete two-hour swimming sessions and 30-minute land training. Eleanor is also a member of the British Water Polo Girls Academy and is a gold medalist in the north Midlands for biathlon.
Biddulph High School and Specialist Sports College was Alton Towers sporting school of the year. The school’s athletics, rounders, cross-country, badminton, netball, football, basketball and swimming teams landed a combined 22 titles in the last year. The school also achieved sports college re-designation, FA Charter standard, Sportsmark and Health Schools awards. A total of 75 students are studying for either level one or level two sports leaders qualifications to host tournaments, and teachers, who are encouraged to develop their own coaching skills, are studying in areas including junior football leaders, trampolining, dance, cheerleading, kayaking and rugby.
Stacey Weatherer, from Brindley Ford, was Ted Perry senior achiever of the year. The martial arts expert was twice named world champion and achieved a third degree blackbelt in taekwondo and second degree blackbelt in kickboxing. In competitions, she was also named Scottish champion for the fourth year running in Glasgow in October, and won gold and silver at the British championships in Swindon in November.
Councillor Mark Deaville, cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture, said: “Year-on-year these awards continue to recognise outstanding sporting achievements and commitments.
“We’re fully dedicated to giving our sporting stars all the support we can and recognise efforts from grass roots level, to unsung heroes to national and international performers.
“We have a great range of talent across a whole spectrum of disciplines and I am thrilled that we have been able to honour so many achievers.
“The sports awards are a calendar fixture and continue to attract a huge interest across the district. The awards will continue to ensure our sporting stars get the recognition they deserve.”
Major event and team award sponsor Lafarge Cement was represented at the awards ceremony by Cauldon Works manager Nicolas Maes and some of his team. He said: “Although part of a giant global organisation, Lafarge remains firmly committed to supporting the communities around its operations. As part of the programme of support we offer from Cauldon Works, we are pleased that we have been able to sponsor the sports awards for many years. These awards bring together the finest local talent in a variety of sporting arenas – we are very impressed with what we have seen here and we congratulate all the award winners and runners-up.”
For more information contact: Tony Wheat
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