COMMUNITY Sports Volunteers and Clubs from St Albans scooped top prizes at the Herts Sports Partnership Service to Sport Awards. Michael Pope, of the Dwarf Athletic Association, came first in the Paul Pearce Award for Contribution to Disability Sport Cate

COMMUNITY Sports Volunteers and Clubs from St Albans scooped top prizes at the Herts Sports Partnership Service to Sport Awards.

Michael Pope, of the Dwarf Athletic Association, came first in the Paul Pearce Award for Contribution to Disability Sport Category. The St Albans thrower who competes at national level has also been selected for the Herts Elite Athlete Support Programme, a joint initiative between the Herts Sports Partnership, University of Hertfordshire, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and the English Institute of Sport.

Sir John Lawes School, of Harpenden, won the Sports School of the Year top award with Roundwood Park School in Harpenden Highly Commended. Mark Simpson, of St Albans Rangers FC, won the first prize in the Community Coach of the Year category.

Special Olympics St Albans (SOSA) picked up six awards, including the Best Newcomer Club for their Equestrian Sessions. Sarah Moreland received the award on behalf of the club and she said: "It is a very exciting club for some tremendous athletes just starting out and I hope we will be here again sometime in the future with some really exciting results."

SOSA also picked up individual awards for Abby Patterson, Hollie Willet and Hannah Green, Annie Seymour and Nikhil Shar and the club was highly commended in the Paul Pearce Award for Contribution to Disability Sport category.

Peter McCullough, from Harpenden, took second place in the Volunteer of the Year category for his work with Old Albanians and Welwyn rugby clubs. Oaklands Athletics Academy finished third in the Best Newcomer Club category and for the Community Coach of the Year female Sarah Moreland, of Harpenden, was third with Dawn Sewell, of Mandeville Primary School Highly Commended. John Pritchard, from Wheathampstead, and Wendy Seabrook, Marshalswick Judo Club, were also highly commended for their coaching work.

The ceremony, held on Wednesday, October 8 at the Weston Auditorium at the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield also honoured the Hertfordshire Olympians and Paralympians who competed in Beijing earlier this year. Special guests, boxer Billy Joe Saunders and swimmer Richard Charlesworth, presented some of the awards.

The evening was compered by BBC Three Counties Radio Presenter Luke Ashmead while former Olympic coach and technical director to the Oscar-winning movie Chariots of Fire, Tom McNab gave the opening address and the event, sponsored by the University of Hertfordshire and Excel Sport, attracted a record crowd. Nigel Brook, chairman of Herts County Council, said: "It is gratifying to know that Hertfordshire is blessed with so many unsung sporting heroes. I wish to thank the Herts Sports Partnership for all of the work they do to ensure recognition for these volunteers.