67 Nominations for Annandale & Eskdale Sports Awards

The Annandale and Eskdale Sports Awards Ceremony for 2017, organised by Active Schools and Community Sport for Dumfries and Galloway Council, was held at the Buccleuch Centre, Langholm on Friday 9th March. Nine awards were presented to local individuals and organisations who had excelled in their chosen sport during the year 2017.

The evening which received a record 67 nominations also captured a fantastic year for school, community and club sport in Annandale and Eskdale with some special achievements being recognised.

The evening started with the Small School Sports Initiative of the Year Award which was sponsored by The Cumberland Building Society. Winners were Applegarth Primary School for striving to provide a greater variety of sporting opportunity that has resulted in significantly increased participation, social skills, confidence and self-esteem in children. Runners up were Canonbie Primary School who had an outstanding school sport year and achieved the Gold School Sport Award.

The Large School Sports Initiative of the Year Award was sponsored by The Dumfries and Galloway Standard. Langholm Primary School who rewrote their PE curriculum to ensure sporting experiences are challenging and progressive and gained the sportscotland Gold School Sport Award were runners up. Winners were Moffat Academy Learning Support Department who had worked hard to develop a programme that allows pupils with a disability to take part in sporting sessions within the school and at events and festivals and gain from the many associated benefits.

Annan Travel were sponsors of the Volunteer of the Year Award which received fourteen inspiring nominations of people doing excellent work in our communities. The winner was David Lindsay from Lockerbie Squash Club whose work had brought glowing reports for the club following an inspection by the CEO of Scottish Squash. Runner up was Rhona Robinson who has been one of the main initiators of Jog Moffat who encourage children and adults to be more active with activities such as run, jump and throw and various walking and jogging sessions for individuals of all ages and abilities.

A new award sponsored by Magnox Limited was introduced this year to recognise the contribution of young people in sport and to coincide with the Year of Young People. Nominations were received for eleven young people doing incredible work. Runner up was Mark Walker Jones, 18 from Lockerbie, who has inspired hundreds of young children through extracurricular sport in the Lockerbie Cluster and achieved his 500hrs Saltire Award for volunteering. The winner was Lily Glendinning, 16 from Eastriggs, a truly inspirational young lady who helps weekly at Annan Swimming Club, Annan Rugby Club and with the local gymnastics programme.

The Coach of the Year Award, sponsored by Gretna Gateway, was presented to Ross Murray who had led the Dumfries and Galloway Special Olympics Football Team to a gold medal at the Special Olympics in 2017. Gymnastics Coach, Steven McKinnel from Annan who was also shortlisted for the 2017 Scottish Gymnastics Awards was runner up.

The Young Sports Personality of the Year Award was again sponsored by Grange Quarry Ltd. and included thirteen nominations of the highest calibre. Receiving a Rising Star Award was 10 year old Dancer Anais Anderson from Annan, nominated three years running and has been a British Champion on two occasions in recent years. Runner Up was 15 year old athlete from Annan, Nicole Proudfoot who won a number of medals at Scottish and UK level and is now ranked No1 in Scotland and No2 in the UK for Pentathlon and No1 and No5 respectively for long jump. The winner was 17 year old Kerstin Dodd who became the International Female Champion at the Great Britain Junior Championships in Bisley, scoring and outstanding 375pts, and in doing so achieved a qualifying score for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

There were a record ten nominations in the team of the year award sponsored by Rostrum Sportswear Ltd of Lochmaben. Winners were Annan Warriors Rugby Team who gained promotion to the BT Women’s National League Division 1 in 2017 with Lyndsay McGoldrick selected for the British Police Ladies team and Jane Stewart playing for the Scottish Students 7s Team. Runners up were Annan and District Junior Athletics Team who won 16 gold, 27 silver and 18 bronze medals in 2017. They were under 11 and Under 13 Girls Team Cumbria League Cross Country Champions and Under 15 Boys Cumbria League Series 800m and 1500m Champions.

Sponsored by Ashleybank Investments, the Lifetime Achievement Award was jointly won by Sam Wallace and Kenneth Pool. Sam has dedicated his life to Annan Athletic Football Club and remains fully committed as Club President after joining the club as manager in 1975. Kenneth Pool has devoted 42 years to Langholm Rugby Club since joining in 1976 and is currently Chairman of the club and Langholm Youth Rugby Trust. Runner up was Margaret Mannall who started teaching physical education in 1977 and has made an outstanding contribution to sport in Annandale and Eskdale.

The evening also recognised some special achievements in 2017 including Canonbie and Langholm Primary Schools achieving the sportscotland Gold School Sport Award and Young Sports Leaders who were recognised after supporting the delivery of school, club and community sport in 2017. Three sportscotland Dumfries and Galloway Coaching Awards winners were presented with their awards, including Steven McKinnel, Anne McKie and Bob Morgan. Magnox Limited were also recognised for their contribution to local sport including investing over £150,000 into youth sport in Annandale and Eskdale through the Active Schools and Community Sport Team.

The main awards from the second year of the “Welcome to Langholm” Future Champions Awards were presented which provide financial support to talented young athletes from Annandale and Eskdale to enable them to fulfil their potential and become the medal winners of the future. £10,000 was presented to fourteen young people on the evening with a further fourteen young people receiving £250 bringing the total awarded to £13,500.

Receiving £500 was Lewis Bell, 17 from Langholm (Athletics), Ben Ewart, 15 from Langholm (Trampoline), Cameron McNay, 20 from Lockerbie (Curling), Emily Hunter, 15 from Brydekirk (Cycling), Katie Reville, 16 from Lochmaben (Athletics), Finlay Waugh, 15 from Annan (Athletics), Ellis Dalgliesh, 18 from Ecclefechan (Football) and Kyla Dodd, 15 from Kirkpatrick Fleming (Shooting).

Receiving £1000 was Ryan McCormack 18 from Lockerbie (Curling), Danny Gracie, 16 from Annan (Athletics), Sean Frame, 21 from Johnstonebridge (Wheelchair Racing), Nicole Proudfoot, 15 from Annan (Athletics), Thomas Diggle, 20 from Lochmaben (Shooting) and Kerstin Dodd, 16 from Kirkpatrick Fleming (Shooting).

The main category of the evening was the Sports Personality of the Year Award sponsored by Anderson’s Joinery and was contested by Ellie Dickinson for Cycling, Thomas Diggle for Shooting, Sean Frame for Wheelchair Racing, Jamie Gormley for Horse Racing and Anna Sloan for Curling. The winner was Ellie Dickinson, 19 from Canonbie who had an outstanding year in track cycling. She won gold in the Women’s Team Pursuit at the National Track Championships in January, 5th in the World Cup in Los Angeles, 5th at the World Track Championships in Hong Kong, three gold medals in the Points Race, Omnium and Team Pursuit and silver at the Grand Prix for Elite Women in Poland. Ellie also won three silver medals and one bronze at the Under-23 and Junior European Track Championships in Portugal followed by a gold medal in the Madison and silver in the Team Pursuit at the European Track Championships in Berlin. Ellie finished off an outstanding year with another gold medal in the Madison and bronze in the Omnium at the World Cup in Canada in December. Runner up was Sean Frame, 21 from Johnstonebridge who is Ranked No.1 in the UK on the track and No.2 on the road over 10,000m. He has been selected for the British Athletics Talent Development Academy after winning the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run 10k Wheelchair Race in Glasgow and won the Scottish Athletics 10k Road Race Grand Prix after winning all four events in the series.

Chair of Annandale and Eskdale Area Committee, Councillor Stephen Thompson said “what an inspiring evening and an opportunity to recognise the sporting talents of Annandale and Eskdale. Just as important, it was great to see recognition for all the teachers, coaches, volunteers and parents who give up so much of their time to provide the opportunity to participate and progress in sport. Sport in Annandale and Eskdale is in very good hands and is certainly going in the right direction”

Vice Chair of Annandale and Eskdale Area Committee, Councillor Adam Wilson said “The Awards were an excellent opportunity to celebrate the enormous effort and talents of the sporting stars of Annandale and Eskdale and we are grateful to our event sponsors who allow us to organise an event fitting of the occasion”. He added “The record number of nominations and of such quality for such a small area again highlights the strength and depth of sporting talent and support we have in our area and every nominee on the evening would have been a worthy winner”.

Lead Officer for Active Schools and Community Sport Calum Graham added “We have yet again celebrated the very best of school, club and community sport and as we witnessed tonight, sport in Annandale and Eskdale is as good as it has ever been. You cannot underestimate the efforts and achievements of tonight’s nominees who continue to encourage, inspire and motivate and why sport continues to thrive in our area.”

£976.35 was raised from the evening’s raffle with organisers expressing thanks to all local sports clubs and organisations who had donated prizes for the evening. The money was shared between Annan Youth Cycling Club, Dumfries and Galloway Wheelchair Athletics Club, Langholm Young Riders Club and Lockerbie Curling School, sports linked to the Sports Personality of the Year and who all deliver excellent opportunities locally for young people.

PLEASE CREDIT CHRIS MCBAIN PHOTOGRAPHY