Sussex Sports Awards 2019 finalist shortlist revealed

The eagerly anticipated shortlist of finalists for the record breaking Sussex Sports Awards 2019 has been announced, after this year’s awards received the highest number of nominations ever, from across the county.
The Finallists will find out who the winners are at the event on Friday 22nd November. Photo courtesy of Ruth DaceyThe Finallists will find out who the winners are at the event on Friday 22nd November. Photo courtesy of Ruth Dacey
The Finallists will find out who the winners are at the event on Friday 22nd November. Photo courtesy of Ruth Dacey

The eagerly anticipated shortlist of finalists for the record breaking Sussex Sports Awards 2019 has been announced, after this year’s awards received the highest number of nominations ever, from across the county.

The unmissable evening, hosted by Active Sussex, will take place on Friday 22 November where the great and the good of the British sporting world will come together to honour the phenomenal Sussex heroines and heroes who have contributed at all levels, across all walks of life.

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The star-studded ceremony, held at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, will be hosted by legendary athletics star Kriss Akabusi MBE and revered BBC radio presenter Danny Pike.

Legendary athletics star Kriss Akabusi MBE will host the event alongside revered BBC radio presenter Danny Pike. Photo courtesy of Ruth DacyLegendary athletics star Kriss Akabusi MBE will host the event alongside revered BBC radio presenter Danny Pike. Photo courtesy of Ruth Dacy
Legendary athletics star Kriss Akabusi MBE will host the event alongside revered BBC radio presenter Danny Pike. Photo courtesy of Ruth Dacy

Sadie Mason MBE, Active Sussex Chief Executive, commented: “It’s been an incredible year for nominations and this has certainly been the hardest round of nominations we have ever had to judge.

"What this demonstrates to us is the exceptional and extraordinary quality of sports clubs and individuals that are currently competing, inspiring and working tirelessly across Sussex.

"Picking winners from this exceptional shortlist of finalists is a wonderful problem to have as it shows that the future is shining bright for local sport and physicalactivity.

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"I wish all the finalists the very best of luck as we edge closer to the Sussex Sports Awards 2019.”

Crawley Old Girls won the Grand Hotel Community Impact Award at the Sussex Sports Awards 2018. Photo courtesy of Ruth DacyCrawley Old Girls won the Grand Hotel Community Impact Award at the Sussex Sports Awards 2018. Photo courtesy of Ruth Dacy
Crawley Old Girls won the Grand Hotel Community Impact Award at the Sussex Sports Awards 2018. Photo courtesy of Ruth Dacy

The full Sussex Sports Awards 2019 shortlist of finalists is:

Active Primary School of the Year Award:

St Leonards CE Primary Academy (Hastings)

Little Common School (Bexhill)

Carden Primary School (Brighton)

*Club of the Year:

Whitehawk Football Club (Brighton)

Westerleigh Judokwai (Hastings)

Worthing Town Football Club (Worthing)

This category is decided by a public vote. Please cast your vote at: ssa19.club

Southern Combination Football League Coach of the Year:

Bruce Warren (Brighton Phoenix Athletics Club) (Hove/Brighton)

Ben Stevens (Beacon Lifesaving Club) (Ukfield/East Sussex)

Marie Pickering (The Rowans Gym) (Worthing)

Everyone Active Community Impact Award:

TCV East Sussex Health Walks (Hastings / East Sussex)

RunningSpace - Running to Beat Suicide (Bexhill)

Brighter Outlook (Albion in the Community) (Brighton)

Disabled Sports Personality of the Year:

Jazz Turner (Sailing & Athletics) (Brighton)

Isabelle Everest (Judo) (Hastings)

Ella Clifford-Wilson (Trampolining) (Lewes)

Wave Leisure Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award:

David Jackson (Football) (Brighton)

Sandy Fell (Education) (Littlehampton)

Martin Savage (Football) (Burgess Hill)

Freedom Leisure Sports Personality of the Year:

Ian Richards (Athletics) (Worthing)

Nate Wiensendanger Shaw (Powerlifting) (Haywards Heath)

David Cumming (Swimming) (Eastbourne)

Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP Team of the Year:

Worthing College Under 19 Netball Team (Worthing)

Sussex Thunder Netball Team (Sussex / Brighton)

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University of Brighton Men’s Rugby Union 1st Team (Brighton)

BBC Sussex Unsung Hero Award:

Eric Douglin (Bexhill Giants Basketball Club) (Bexhill)

Charles Hunt (Stirlands Cricket Club) (Chichester)

Keith Soane (Broadbridge Heath Football Club) (Horsham)

Sussex County FA Volunteer of the Year:

Stuart Collier (Withdean Youth Football Club) (Brighton)

Andy Lindley (SANDS United Football Club) (Shoreham / Brighton)

Ricky Perrin (Sussex Bears Wheelchair Basketball Club) (Sussex)

Platinum Publishing Group Young Sports Personality of the Year:

Amber Anning (Athletics) (Hove)

Bryony Pitman (Archery) (Worthing)

Charlie Lane (Snowboarding) (Steyning)

University of Brighton Young Volunteer of the Year:

Bobby Williams (Hailsham Cricket Club) (Hailsham)

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Kaleigh Pavitt (Hailsham Cricket Club and East Dean Cricket Club) (Hailsham)

McKenzie Howell (University of Brighton Netball Club) (Brighton)

The theme for this year’s spectacular awards is Sussex Superheroes and the thrilling evening will showcase and celebrate everything that is super about the county’s sport and physical activity, and the achievements made by both Sussex’s elite athletes and those at grassroots level.

“It’s a great opportunity to celebrate success and recognise performance but also celebrate all those involved in sport, at all different levels,” enthused Olympian and legendary TeamGB hurdler and 4x4 relay runner Akabusi.

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Akabusi’s exceptional athletic achievements include his greatest individual triumph – winning a gold medal in the European Championships at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland.

This was the day when he beat David Hemery’s British record for the 400m hurdles – a record that stood for 22 years before Kriss made his mark on it!

The legendary athletics’ star went on to capture the world’s attention as a member of Britain’s 4x400 metre relay squad at the 1991 World Champions in Tokyo.

Kriss sensationally helped Britain clinch the gold from the mighty Americans after lying in second place on the final straight, he outsprinted American Antonio Pettigrew to win with a new British record.

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“I will bring energy and enthusiasm and I want to celebrate people’s success. I will make sure people enjoy their moment in the sun. Hopefully there will also be some key insights tomaking the most of this very short time we have in life,” Kriss said.

Award finalists will be excited to learn that winning a Sussex Sports Award has proven to be a springboard to help incredible individuals and community based projects go on to make an even bigger impact in their local communities and fulfil their sporting ambitions.

A perfect example of this, is the multi-award winning football based initiative - Crawley Old Girls (COGS), winner of The Grand Hotel Community Impact Award 2018.

Since the award win the initiative has gone from strength to strength, currently boasting over 100 players; ten times the number of participants since they started in 2015 and now running three sessions a week to cater for the varying levels and abilities.

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And not content with Sussex domination, Carol Bates (Crawley Old Girls Founder and Chair), along with Jo Treharne from the Canterbury Old Bags, organised the first ever Old Girls “World Cup” - held on the rest day of the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019, as part of a festival of football for women of all ages at the Soissons FC ground in northern France.

Over two hundred women from all over the UK and beyond travelled to the event, some of whom had never played football before, and the story featured on the BBC One programme -Inside Out South East.

“It was really unbelievable and humbling to win a Sussex Sports Award – because it’s so prestigious. It was an amazing night that we’ll never forget,” explained Carol.“We were showcased, and word spreads! We were able to reach out to even more women and give them the opportunity to play football.

"Our story keeps encouraging more people to get involved and we have lots of exciting plans in the pipeline to keep getting the message out there.”

For more information please contact Ed Bartram, Active Sussex’s Events Officer,

E: [email protected]/ T: 01273 644103