Minister for Sport and Recreation Stuart Ayres has congratulated all volunteers on their contributions to a huge range of community sport at the 2014 Community Sports Volunteer Awards during National Volunteer Week.

Mr Ayres presented four awards at an event which recognises the contributions of the hundreds of thousands of volunteers in local sporting clubs and associations across the State.

“Volunteers are essential to creating cohesive communities which experience emotional as well as physical wellbeing through the connectedness that sport and recreation provides,” he said.

“We have almost 400,000 volunteers contributing to sport in NSW as coaches, committee members, fundraisers, referees, grounds keepers, driving teams to fixtures, overseeing kits, equipment and sausage sizzles. Many multi-task across these essential roles.

“We know that communities where participation and involvement are encouraged are better connected and more likely to have thriving support networks. It is therefore crucial that we show how much we value how our volunteers’ commitment in keeping our communities active and engaged.”

The awards, organised by Sports NSW, recognise both outstanding individual efforts and excellence in volunteer management by sporting clubs and associations throughout the State.

“These awards allow us to pay tribute to, and celebrate, achievements, and help us profile good practices and innovative approaches in volunteer management, including formal recognition, education and training, coordination and recruitment of our volunteers,” said Mr Ayres.

Mr Ayres presented the Minister’s Sport Volunteer Management Awards to:
· Community Sport Club – Alstonville & District Football Club

· District Sport Association – Hunter Surf Life Saving

· State Sporting Organisation – Surf Life Saving NSW

· Sport Event – Tennis NSW – APIA Sydney Tennis Tournament

Each category winner receives a $2,000 grant for volunteer training or equipment.

The Minister’s Awards followed presentation of individual Volunteer Awards to:
· Official of the Year – Pam Hockings, Women’s Bowls, Engadine

· Young Official of the Year – Thomas Turner, Netball, Guildford

· Coach of the Year – Liam James, Rowing, Summer Hill

· Young Coach of the Year – Carrie Edgar, Dragon Boats, Ryde

· Community Sport Administrator of the Year – joint: Nicole Bramah, Cricket, Caringbah, Zane Fraser­ AFL, Ganmain/Wagga