Inaugral sporting heritage awards hosted by paralympian champion Hannah Cockroft MBE

The public is being asked to nominate the organisations and individuals who have championed the role and value of the nations’ sporting heritage in the augural Sporting Heritage Awards now launched.

The awards are the first to specifically acknowledge the impact and wide-reaching role of sporting heritage in communities, education, academia, sport, society and culture and will be hosted by seven-time Paralympic champion and Sporting Heritage Ambassador, Hannah Cockroft MBE.

Says Hannah: “Sporting heritage activity impacts across so many different agendas and areas of our lives. We all have a sporting story to share. As well as telling the important stories of social, economic, local and community history, it has a huge impact on areas such as health and wellbeing, sports participation, education and decreasing isolation and loneliness. We want to celebrate those who are doing a brilliant job of keeping our sporting stories alive and well in our communities.”

The awards are also being backed by Dana Abdulkarim, the first Muslim and Arab woman to compete for England internationally as part of GB’s Rounders team and who recently became the latest Sporting Heritage Ambassador to give their support to the organisation.

Dana says: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Sporting Heritage and supporting their work to promote, protect and preserve our rich sporting heritage. The Sporting Heritage Awards are a brilliant opportunity to showcase and celebrate our sporting legacies and the impact and role the heritage has in engaging such a wide, diverse range of people and sports in our communities.”

The awards are free to enter and include 8 categories including Best Sporting Heritage Moment of the Year following the huge sporting events that have taken place throughout 2021.

Sporting Heritage CIC Founding Director, Dr. Justine Reilly adds: “There are many different people and organisations across the four nations delivering sporting heritage activity within their community – whether that be through creating an archive about their local sports club, celebrating a local sporting figure, delivering exhibitions, working with schools, or developing more diverse sporting knowledge in our communities. These awards are a great chance to celebrate the best examples of those organisations and people making a difference and impact through the legacy of sport.”

The Sporting Heritage Awards will be judged by an independent panel including Sir Rodney Walker (British sports administrator and current Chairman of the British Basketball League), Eilish McGuinness (Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund), Humayun Islam (Chairman of Bangla Bantams), Helena Bryne (British Library), Chris Leslie (Inside Out Sport Wales) and Hannah Flemming (R&A World Golf Museum).

Nominations are now open with the final winners announced at a special event held at Leeds Museum on April 28th 2022 www.sportingheritage.org.uk/awards