Winners celebrated at Newark and Sherwood Community and Sports Awards 2024

This year, 14 worthy winners were awarded for their exceptional contributions in various categories, with a total of 300 guests in attendance. This marks the second year that the awards were extended to cover the whole of the district and thanks to the District Council's collaboration with Active4Today, the awards were extended to recognise more sporting success through additional sport categories.

The event also featured a Special Recognition Award presented to a community member who demonstrated remarkable dedication to achieving positive change in the district. Tom Marsden, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Lincoln College, received this accolade for his vital work in bringing the Air and Space Institute in Newark to life. The site is set to officially open later this week.

Take a look at the Newark and Sherwood Community and Sports Awards page to see the winners on the night!

Some of the success stories included Bob Overbury who won the Irene Sendler Humanitarian Award which looks for individuals who put others first and go above and beyond supporting those in the community. 

He set up a Facebook page to support Ukrainian refugees to link them up with host families during the outbreak of war in the country. He supported those who arrived, picking them up at the airport, bringing them to the district, taking them to families and making sure they had enough to settle down in the UK.

Bob, said: “I’m a bit overwhelmed to be honest, it’s an honour and I was surprised to be nominated. I felt like I needed to do something, so I started doing something, but I had no idea what to do or how to do it.”

Miles Harriman, another worthy winner, was recognised from his involvement in many community projects including the ‘Crop Drop’ scheme which organises crop donations from local growers and driving the produce to community groups that need it most. He’s also involved in ‘The Shed (Collingham)’ which recently created wooden daises for the Children’s Bereavement Centre for the meadow of memories in Newark Castle.  For this work he was awarded Citizen of the Year.

Miles, said: “This is really amazing and really a privilege. We’ve planted more than 300 trees, put a very long walkway in the village, we’re doing our 5^th community garden and last week we were working with people in sheltered accommodation who have learning disabilities. We took them some vegetables like radish, and they loved it!” 

Young Person of the Year was shared by Elliot Garland (11) Jude Gabbitas (11) and Seth Gabbitas (8) who make up a fundraising entrepreneur team called Future15. The trio were awarded for Young Person of the Year as they dedicated their time and energy to help raise money for local children struggling to deal with the loss of a loved one.

They said: “We feel good and great about winning. I think we’re going to take over the world next!”

Councillor Paul Peacock, Leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, commented: “Our district is full of amazing individuals who do great things in our communities. Whether it be helping neighbours in an emergency, working as backroom staff for a sports club, or inspiring others to contribute to the area, there’s so much to celebrate. Often these individuals do not get the recognition they deserve, so this award ceremony was the perfect opportunity to say thank you to those that deserve it the most. I’m thrilled to have celebrated the amazing accomplishments of our residents across the district.”

The Renaissance at Kelham Hall, which served as the venue and a gold sponsor for the event, added to the celebration's grandeur. Alex Hopkins, from the Renaissance at Kelham Hall, shared: “We were thrilled to host the Community and Sports Awards once again and were excited to hear about all the amazing stories from our community. The Renaissance at Kelham Hall is the perfect venue to celebrate the district's greatest accomplishments, and this year, we were proud to sponsor the Courage and Bravery Award. We honoured those who demonstrated exceptional heroics in difficult times.”

Active4Today, another gold sponsor, celebrated the winners of the Creating Change for Sport and Physical Activity Award. Andy Freeman, Chair of Active4Today Board, stated: “In Newark and Sherwood, we are lucky to have so many residents who go out of their way to support their community, and we have numerous sporting stars who make us proud. At Active4Today, we support a wide range of sporting clubs to secure much-needed funding and improve facilities, providing more opportunities for people to be active. These awards celebrate some of the great sporting accomplishments from the past year.”

During the event, award winners were treated to a two-course meal, an award ceremony, and a lively party.

Councillor Jean Hall, Chair of Newark and Sherwood District Council also awarded Newark Dementia Carers with a cheque of £750 as her chosen charity.

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees who made the Newark and Sherwood Community and Sports Awards 2024 a memorable and inspiring event.

Here are the award winners:

• The Social Action Hub - Business Commitment to the Community (Sponsored by Newark College)
• Jude Gabbitas, Seth Gabbitas and Elliot Garland - Young Person of the Year (Sponsored by Murphy Group)
• Miles Harriman - Citizen of the Year (Sponsored by Ann et Vin)
• Carla Brown - Community Champion of the Year (Sponsored by Harworth Group)
• Newark Sea Cadets - Community Group of the Year (Sponsored by Bakkavor)
• Jane Hall - Education Provider of the Year (Sponsored by Newark and Sherwood District Council)
• Anthony Whyton - Courage and Bravery (Sponsored by Renaissance at Kelham Hall)
• Davy Yates - Emergency Services and Armed Forces Award (Sponsored by Motorfinity)
• Jeremy Reichelt - Creating Change for Sport and Physical Activity Award (Sponsored by Active4Today)
• Newark Academy U16’s Football Team - Sports Team of the Year (Sponsored by Ultimate Print and Design Ltd)
• Lorenzo Costantin - Sports Individual of the Year (Sponsored by Smiths Timber)
• Paula Drummond - Lifetime Commitment Award (Sponsored by Radio Newark)
• Bob Overbury - Irene Sendler Humanitarian Award (Sponsored by Polish Cultural Institute)
• Tom Marsden – Special Recognition Award

Gold sponsors for the awards were Murphy Group, Active4Today, the Renaissance at Kelham Hall and Radio Newark. Without their support, the awards could not have taken place. Photography on the night was also taken by Teressa Martin. The awards presented on the night were crafted by students from Newark College.

Full interviews and videos will be shared by the District Council and Radio Newark in the coming weeks on their website and social media.