## **SPORT NEWCASTLE**
## **ANNUAL REPORT 2022-2023**
[Incorporating the activities of Sport Newcastle CIO and the unincorporated association Sport Newcastle]
**Sport Newcastle takes your privacy very seriously. You can view our privacy policy at https://www.sportnewcastle.org.uk/privacy .**
www.sportnewcastle.org
Sport Newcastle | Registered Charity Number: 1153011
## **SPORT NEWCASTLE**
## **PATRONS**
Sir John Hall Alan Shearer CBE Jonathan Edwards CBE
## **PRESIDENT**
Alan Younger
## **VICE PRESIDENTS**
Richard Appleby Karen Chapman Ian Elvin John Gibson Glen McCrory Mike McLeod Ros Miller Stephen Miller MBE Victoria Pembleton CBE Johnny Wilkinson CBE
## **OFFICERS**
**Treasurer:** David Appleby **Secretary:** Kingsley Hyland OBE
## **TRUSTEES**
Roger Tames (Chair), David Appleby, Mike Booth, Claire Finn, Steve Harper, Kingsley Hyland, Simon Rushworth, Matthew Squires, Dawn Thewlis, Alan Younger
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Sport Newcastle | Registered Charity Number: 1153011
## **SECRETARY’S UPDATE**
I have pleasure in presenting the Annual Report and Accounts for the financial year 2022/23.
We have managed to negotiate successfully our first year of post-covid activity and the green shoots of recovery we saw emerging this time last year have flourished. Most significantly, our most important fundraising event was finally restored to the calendar albeit rather later in the year than previously and was warmly received by those who attended. Further details can be found in the Fundraising section of this Report. The Annual Golf Day has continued to grow exponentially whilst the 2023 event looks like being our best yet in terms of participant numbers.
The success of these two events and continued support from our main sponsors, Tier One Capital and SOS Group mean that we have been able to match the demand from an increase in the number of grant applications from both individuals and clubs.
Whilst we have maintained the emphasis on our two core activities – fundraising and making grants – we have built on the success of the 2022 Year of the Coach initiative by organising our first ever Coaching Conference to be held at the Vertu Eagles Arena on 25[th] June. We will continue to explore similar opportunities consistent with our charitable objects in the years to come.
From a governance point of view we continue to reap the benefits of the major streamlining processes we adopted prior to the pandemic. That does not mean that we will stand still as we will continue to evolve and develop our working practices to ensure that we are making the most of the precious time committed by our many volunteers.
The individual reports from Matthew Squires and Roger Tames make mention of the benefits we have reaped from initiatives that have enabled us to spread the word about Sport Newcastle. With this in mind I have appended to this Report following the Annual Accounts an extract of a valuable piece of work which Roger undertook towards the end of the reporting year. Recipients of the Report should feel free to share it with anyone who might be interested to learn more about what we do.
As ever our grateful thanks and admiration go to all those trustees, officers, patrons, vice-presidents, volunteers, sponsors, supporters and the North East sporting community for the part that they have played in another positive year for Sport Newcastle.
This Report is in five parts:
1. **President’s Report** – in his first report since taking on the role The President outlines the background to Sport Newcastle and its continued relevance.
2. **Fundraising Report** – a summary of the major income raising projects run by Sport Newcastle in the financial year ended 31 March 2023 along with details of the support provided by sponsors.
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Sport Newcastle | Registered Charity Number: 1153011
3. **Awards Report** – a summary of the work undertaken and awards/grants made by Sport Newcastle in the financial year ended 31 March 2023.
4. **Annual Accounts** – the Annual Accounts of both the Sport Newcastle Charity and the Sport Newcastle unincorporated association for the financial year ended 31 March 2023.
## 5. **Trustees’ Overview**
Even the not so eagle eyed will have noticed that publication of this Report comes almost two months later than in previous years. The principal purpose of the Annual Report is to enable us to report back on the charity’s performance over the course of the previous financial year. The delay in publication has meant that two of the significant events scheduled for 2023-24 have already taken place. In a masterpiece of understatement the Treasurer has alluded to the cause of the delay in his Note to the accounts. This does not do justice to the many hours that David has been forced to spend in correspondence and on the telephone in order to provide the validation required by the bank in setting up a new account, a process that took over a year to resolve due to the loss of documents by the bank.
## **Kingsley Hyland Secretary**
## **PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2022/23**
Sport Newcastle was created in 1967, responding to the Government’s invitation to each major town, city and county to establish an organization that was a focus of all aspects of sport, under the auspices of Sport England. Sadly, after more than five decades it is the only voluntary body remaining in the North East dedicated to the original ideal – Sport for All.
Initially Newcastle centric, currently it supports sport throughout Tyne and Wear, South Northumberland and North Durham. With a focus on youth participation, in the north it encompasses an area from Morpeth across to Ashington, in the south an area from Durham through to Sunderland. Valid applications for grants reflect this growth, currently a five-fold increase for grant support regularly recorded.
Sport Newcastle remains a grass roots voluntary organization that continues to support sport in the North East, athletes, coaches, clubs, disability athletes and community sports groups to reach their sporting potential. Great emphasis is centred on the growing problems of the disadvantaged youngster, sport is acknowledged as the catalyst to promote mental and physical wellbeing, self-worth and pride.
Reports from each officer will demonstrate the ongoing commitment to provide both support and encouragement across the broad spectrum of North East sport, justifiably remaining proud to do so.
## **Alan Younger, Sport Newcastle President**
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Sport Newcastle | Registered Charity Number: 1153011
## **FUNDRAISING REPORT**
Whilst the focus remained as ever on the traditional main fundraising events 2022-23 was a busy and largely productive year for the fundraising efforts of Sport Newcastle across a range of activities.
The 2022 Sport Newcastle Golf Day took place at Ponteland Golf Club which proved popular with competitors who praised the excellent condition of the course and the friendliness and efficiency of the staff. However, the real winners were us, Sport Newcastle, who managed to raise over £5,249 which will be used to provide grants to local amateur clubs and individuals. The event organised by Mike Booth and supported by the Fundraising Committee was a sell-out success and helped raise valuable funds. The 2023 Golf Day is scheduled to take place in July at Ponteland Golf Club.
Ponteland Golf Club also chose Sport Newcastle as their Charity of the Year for 2022, the club organised a series of quiz nights, events and raffles throughout the year that raised almost £5,000 for Sport Newcastle.
Northumberland Badminton Association hosted a joint quiz night with Sport Newcastle to celebrate their 10[th] anniversary, the event organised by Amy Kirsopp raised £500 for Sport Newcastle.
The Sport Newcastle Annual Awards Dinner was held in November 2022 returning to Newcastle Civic Centre for the first time since the Covid pandemic. The event recognised those clubs and individuals who have made a significant contribution to North East sport over a number of years. The highlight of the evening was the Wilkinson Sword award for Lifetime Achievement that was presented to Dean Richards for his contribution to North East Rugby while Newcastle United were recognised for the Sporting Success of the Year award after a transformative season under Eddie Howe and the new ownership. The event was hosted by Roger Tames, Ian Payne & Dawn Thewlis and raised over £5000. The Sport Newcastle Awards will return to the Newcastle Civic Centre in 2023 on the 9[th] November.
**Wilkinson Sword recipient Dean Richards interviewed by Ian Payne at the Sport Newcastle Annual Awards Dinner.**
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Sport Newcastle | Registered Charity Number: 1153011
We have strengthened our existing relationships with Tier One Capital and SOS Group and continue to offer local businesses a great opportunity to support grassroots sport across the North East. The current economic outlook has resulted in some businesses cutting their community support and marketing budgets.
As a Fundraising Committee we now have three well established events in the calendar but are keen to add a fourth event from 2024 to help generate more income. We are also focusing on building stronger local business connections to attract additional Sport Newcastle partners.
We have also benefitted from the personal generosity of a number of individuals and organisations who made private donations and organised fundraising challenges in aid of Sport Newcastle. These donations included £2,000 from Peter Mclane, £500 from the Finn Family Trust and an anonymous donation of £1,000.
A new communication strategy is to be developed to ensure existing and potential supporters of Sport Newcastle are aware of the work we are doing to support North-East Sport and as part of this we are currently developing a new website that will act as a hub for information.
We will also be focusing our efforts on developing relationships with local and national charitable trusts and grant making bodies with a focus on grassroots sport, mental health and youth, a potential area of funding we are yet to maximise.
Thanks go to all the Fundraising Committee members for their continued support, time and effort during the year, with a special mention to Norma Waterfield who stepped down from the committee this year after many year’s supporting Sport Newcastle.
## **Matthew Squires Chair, Fundraising Committee**
## **AWARDS COMMITTEE REPORT**
We have resumed our efforts post Covid, with renewed vigour, enthusiasm and generosity. Payments of grants to clubs and individuals has more than doubled from last year.
From 1[st] April ’22 to 31[st] March ’23 the Awards Committee met 5 times and issued the following grants:
|•|Grants to 6 clubs:|£3,100|
|---|---|---|
|•|Grants to 37 individuals:|£12,750|
|•|Grants to 4 platinum scholars:|£3,000|
|•|2022 Year of the Coach grants paid/committed|£10,549|
|**Total**||**£29,349**|
One-off donations of £5,000 from Vic Robins’ legacy, a £5,000 gift from Sir John Hall and Ponteland Golf Club choosing us as their Charity of the Year, which raised £5,000, helped boost the funds available this year.
This year we gave grants for the first time to Cleadon Archers, Westerhope Juniors F.C., Wearside Junior Tenpin Bowling Club and Pelaw Bowls Club whilst maintaining support to 16 other clubs, largely through our coaching initiative. Newcastle Wheelchair Rugby benefitted from a grant to purchase specialised wheels and help to fund travel to a major tournament at Stoke Mandeville. Pelaw Bowls Club bought junior bowls with their grant to allow junior school students to have age appropriate
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Sport Newcastle | Registered Charity Number: 1153011
equipment at their annual inter schools competitions. Newcastle Magpies Rugby League club were able to purchase post protectors with their grant.
The funding allocated to clubs specifically for coaching has helped over 70 individuals gain qualifications ranging from introductory to level 3. Support will continue as we deliver the first ever Sport Newcastle Coaching Conference scheduled for 25[th] June.
Post Covid we received a significant increase in grant applications from individuals. As the year progressed it became apparent that cost of living issues were impacting on individual families. To be able to support so many individuals with grants ranging from £250 (bronze award) to £1500 (platinum award) has helped significantly to keep some very talented young people in their sport.
Athletes from 16 different sports have been awarded grants including (for the first time in many years) figure skating, artistic swimming and coastal rowing.
The ratio of girls to boys receiving grants was almost 2:1 (24:13) continuing a trend over recent years.
This year we lost two platinum scholars: Nick Pyle who had come to the end of his 3-year tenure and Dan Dixon, who turned professional after his first year and is already making a huge impact on the World Triathlon circuit. At the Annual Awards Dinner in November we revealed our new platinum award scholar, Toby Aberdeen, who is a huge prospect in the field of pistol shooting. Support to Joy Eze has been extended in to a 4[th] year due to her exceptional progress as a sprinter.
Ten Rising Stars were unveiled at the Awards Dinner along with the winners of the Jack Hixon and Wor Jackie awards to Lewis Miley and Elliot Anderson of Newcastle United. Next year the Jack Hixon award will be open to young female footballers as well as boys.
The Rising Stars to look out for in the future are: Sam Charlton(Athletics), Laura Burtle (Taekwondo), Laura Cottee (Hockey), Lucy Dodd (Badminton), Oliver Fletcher (Rugby Union), Charlotte Naughton (Golf), Luke Pichler (Athletics) , Ella Pitt (Karate), Luca Robinson (Gymnastics) and Seren Tallantyre (Swimming).
The Major Award winners on the evening were:
- Young Sporting Achievement: Jess Baker, England Womens’ Open Amateur Golf Champion.
- Coach of the Year: Marc Steutel, Newcastle Eagles and acting England Basketball head coach.
- Team Achievement (Frank Brennan Cup): Northumbria University Rugby League Team – undefeated in four years.
- Sporting Achievement of the Year: Newcastle United F.C. – for bringing ‘hope’ to the City.
- Lifetime Achievement Award (Wilkinson Sword): Dean Richards – ex-Newcastle Falcons coach and ex-England player.
More grants and more awards equals more work for everyone on the Awards Committee. It is refreshing to work with a group of people who are totally committed, professional and conscientious and make every effort to make the right decisions. On behalf of all the young people who benefit from your efforts, thank you for your support.
## **Mike Booth (Chair, Awards Committee)**
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Sport Newcastle | Registered Charity Number: 1153011
**The Rising Stars with their awards at the Annual Dinner along with Sport Newcastle trustee Steve Harper.**
## **TRUSTEES’ OVERVIEW**
After all the turmoil wrought by the pandemic the trustees have been able to eschew fire fighting and to take more of a close watching brief over the work of the two main committees whilst contributing in significant numbers to both of those committees. The positive outcomes delivered by the two committees are detailed elsewhere in this report.
Whilst the core activities of Sport Newcastle, as reflected in the work of the two main committees, have remained the principal focus for the trustees it has been recognised that there are parts of the charity’s business which do not fall neatly within the terms of reference of either main committee and so have ended up being considered by both resulting in significant duplication. Two examples of this are the ongoing saga of the much needed Sport Newcastle website update and our first ever Coaching Conference scheduled for late June. The trustees will look to address this in a way which maintains the progress we have made in recent years in streamlining the way that we operate.
The success of the two main fundraising activities – the Annual Awards Dinner and the Golf Day – have served to raise the profile of Sport Newcastle. More people are aware of us and what we do as perhaps reflected in the return to pre-pandemic levels of grant applications. We have been able to promote ourselves as a small, efficient charity run entirely by volunteers with a clearly defined purpose and an almost non-existent cost base. As such we are increasingly being seen as a reliable outlet for potential sponsors looking to make charitable contributions which they know will be well spent. This is of course to be welcomed as it will result in additional funds becoming available to enable us to support even more young sports people and sports clubs. Nevertheless, the trustees remain alert to the potential
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Sport Newcastle | Registered Charity Number: 1153011
pitfalls this may entail such as an increased burden on the trustees and a change in the essential character of Sport Newcastle as described above.
## **Roger Tames Chairman of Trustees**
**Chair of Trustees Roger Tames hosting the 2023 Sport Newcastle Awards Dinner, A task he shared with the BBC’s Dawn Thewlis and ITV’s Ian Payne.**
**Three lifetimes of sporting achievement – Wilkinson Sword recipient Dean Richards (left) 2021 winner Ros Miller (right) and former winner Stephen Miller MBE.**
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Sport Newcastle | Registered Charity Number: 1153011
**DIARY DATES 2023-24**
25[th] June 2023 Coaching Conference 29[th] June 2023 Annual Golf Day 14[th] August 2023 Fundraising Committee Meeting 11[th] September 2023 Awards Committee Meeting 2[nd] October 2023 Awards Committee Meeting 9[th] October 2023 Fundraising Committee Meeting 9[th] November 2023 Annual Dinner 27[th] November 2023 Awards Committee Meeting
www.sportnewcastle.org
Sport Newcastle | Registered Charity Number: 1153011
**SPORT NEWCASTLE NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS 2022-23**
## **General**
Once again for Sport Newcastle there are two sets of accounts but with agreement, for presentational purposes I will deal with them with a combined approach. At the 2022-23-year end on 31[st] March there was a total of £53,476.36 in the two accounts. The general account held £30,920.07 and the Charity account £22,556.29.
The significant positive from the year is that we made awards totalling £26,490 in the form of Sports Scholarships, Grants, Club Sponsorship and Promotion from the accounts.
As previously reported at the close of business on 31[st] March we had £30,920 in the Community Account, with known commitments, debtors and liabilities of £5,419 this leaves us with a useable balance of £25,501 in the community (general) account and similarly accounting for commitments we had £10,858 in the charity account. This gives us a total useable resource of £36,359.16 for 2023-24. It is important to note that within this balance we have commitments of £2,419 as part of our Year of the Coach initiative and £3,000 for Sports scholars which represents a significant ongoing investment in sport in the Northeast.
Sport Newcastle has been fortunate to continue to receive superb support from our commercial partners at Tier One Capital and Smart Office Systems (SOS) who have continued to provide invaluable financial assistance. We also received specific donations from individual donors.
## **Dinner**
The 2022-23 dinner generated a gross surplus of £17,355 with a commitment of £11,698 due to Newcastle City Council for the event leaving a net surplus of £5,657.
## **Golf Day**
The accounts show the Golf Day organised by Mike Booth and the Special Events team returned an excellent in-year profit of over £4,192.
## **Sports Scholars**
At the close of the financial year 2022-23 we were directly supporting two scholars at a total cost of £3,000. The awards are administered through the committee on receipt of satisfactory progress reports and are reviewed quarterly at the committee meetings.
## **Expenditure**
## **Grants and Financial Assistance**
The expenditure within this category primarily includes applications for support from athletes and clubs which are considered by our trustees. Recipient sports in the year included athletics, boxing, golf, badminton, swimming, triathlon, basketball, taekwondo, gymnastics, judo, rugby, bowls, fencing, shooting, and bowls. Excluding payments to scholars we made payments totalling £22,900.
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Sport Newcastle | Registered Charity Number: 1153011
**Office Expenses**
Within the accounts I have identified costs of £253 associated with the operation of Sport Newcastle. This includes website hosting and domain name, printing, stationery, postage costs and the purchase of a card payment machine. This figure represents 0.81% of total expenditure or 0.51% of turnover which by any standards is extremely cost efficient and recognises our commitment to directing as much of our income as possible towards sport and athletes.
## **Overview**
The performance of Sport Newcastle in 2022-23 has, once again, been excellent, delivering over £26,000 in support to clubs and athletes across the North-East. This commitment will continue into 2023-24 where we already have a coaching seminar scheduled early in the year.
As previously noted, we currently operate two accounts, one for the general account and one for the charity account. It is proposed that these will be merged during 2023-24. We were involved in a lengthy process with Barclays validating the accounts at the end of the year which delayed the production of the annual report and accounts. With this now being concluded we can take the appropriate actions to enable the consolidation of accounts utilising the Charity account as our primary account.
**David Appleby, Sport Newcastle Treasurer 18[th] July 2023**
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Sport Newcastle | Registered Charity Number: 1153011
## **SPORT NEWCASTLE CHARITY**
## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2023**
|**Income**
Donations
Dinner Net Proceeds
Golf Day Net Proceeds
**Expenditure**
Grants and Financial Assistance
Sports Scholarship Awards
Sponsorship and Club Promotion
Honoraria and Secretarial Expenses
Room Hire and Refreshments
Presentations
Promotional Expenses
**Surplus (Deficit) for Year transferred to**
**Balance Sheet**|**2023**
**2022**
£
£
£
£
4,200
9,729
7,377
1,250
**£12,827**
**£9,729**
0
1,000
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
**0**
18
**0**
**12,827**
**9,729**|
|---|---|
|||
## **SPORT NEWCASTLE CHARITY**
## **BALANCE SHEET at 31st MARCH 2023**
|**Current Assets**
**Cash at Bank**
Barclays Community Account
Treasurery Deposit
**Debtors and Prepayments**
Income Due from Sport Newcastle
**Current Liabilities**
**Accruals**
Balance in Reserve
Corporate Sports Scholarships
**Creditors**
Newcastle City Council for Dinner
Others - Cheques Not Presented
**Net Current Assets**
Accountants Report|**2023**
£
£
22,556
22,556
£0
0
0
0
0
11,698
0
11,698
£10,858|**2022**
£
£
9,729
9,729
0
0
0
1,525
1,525
0
0
£8,204|**2022**
£
£
9,729
9,729
0
0
0
1,525
1,525
0
0
£8,204|
|---|---|---|---|
|||||
||||£8,204|
|||||
I have examined the books and records of Sport Newcastle for the year ended 31 March 2023 and confirm they have been properly kept. I have also examined the above balance sheet and attached Income and Expenditure account and confirm that they are in accordance with those books and records, and information supplied.
## **SPORT NEWCASTLE**
## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH 2023**
|**Income**
Dinner net proceeds
Golf Day net proceeds
Sports Scholarship Receipts
Rates
Income in Advance
Sponsorship
Affiliation & Membership Fees
Donations
**Expenditure**
Grants and Financial Assistance
Sports Scholarship Awards
Sponsorship and Promotion
Honoraria and Secretarial Expenses
Office Expenses
Room Hire and Refreshments
Promotional Expenses
**Surplus (Deficit) for Year transferred to**
**Balance Sheet**
Accumulated Fund
Development Trust|**2023**
**2022**
£
£
£
£
9,978
-882
2,942
5,082
0
0
0
4,364
0
0
9,907
13,287
0
25
0
0
**£22,827**
**£21,875**
22,990
9,550
3,500
4,000
0
0
0
0
254
190
0
0
0
**26,744**
0
**13,740**
-1,371
2,847
-2,546
5,287
**-3,917**
**8,134**|**2023**
**2022**
£
£
£
£
9,978
-882
2,942
5,082
0
0
0
4,364
0
0
9,907
13,287
0
25
0
0
**£22,827**
**£21,875**
22,990
9,550
3,500
4,000
0
0
0
0
254
190
0
0
0
**26,744**
0
**13,740**
-1,371
2,847
-2,546
5,287
**-3,917**
**8,134**|
|---|---|---|
|||**8,134**|
## **SPORT NEWCASTLE**
## **BALANCE SHEET at 31st MARCH 2023**
|**Current Assets**
**Cash at Bank**
Barclays Community Account
**Debtors and Prepayments**
Corporate Scholars Credit from Charity
Income Due - Rates Debtors
Dinner Debtors
**Current Liabilities**
**Accruals**
Golf Day Income in advance
Income Due to Charity
COVID Emergency Grants
Year of the Coach Commitments
Corporate Sports Scholarships
**Creditors**
City Council for Rates
City Council for Dinner
Others - Cheques Not Presented
**Net Current Assets**
**Represented By**
**Accumulated Fund**
Balance at 31 March 2022
Add Share of surplus/deficit for year
**Development Trust**
Balance at 31 March 2022
Add Share of surplus/deficit for year
**Reserve for Trophy Replacement**
Accountants Report|**2023**
£
£
30,920
30,920
0
0
0
0
0
0
2,419
3,000
5,419
0
0
0
0
£25,501
3,196
-1,371
1,825
7,649
-2,546
5,103
£18,573
£25,501|**2022**
£
£
37,007
37,007
0
0
0
500
8,789
400
0
5,000
14,689
7,146
0
1,750
8,896
£13,422
349
2,847
3,196
2,362
5,287
7,649
£2,577
£13,422|**2022**
£
£
37,007
37,007
0
0
0
500
8,789
400
0
5,000
14,689
7,146
0
1,750
8,896
£13,422
349
2,847
3,196
2,362
5,287
7,649
£2,577
£13,422|
|---|---|---|---|
|||||
||||£13,422|
|||||
I have examined the books and records of Sport Newcastle for the year ended 31 March 2023 and confirm they have been properly kept. I have also examined the above balance sheet and attached Income and Expenditure account and confirm that they are in accordance with those books and records, and information supplied.
## **SPORT NEWCASTLE: AWARDS AND GRANTS**
## **PLATINUM AWARD:**
## **Financial backing for our very best young talent.**
Sport Newcastle has a structured grants scheme of bronze (£250), silver (£500) and gold (£1,000) awards. Athletes have the opportunity to rise through the levels though the progression is by no means automatic and depends on maintaining sporting results. Most athletes begin with the lowest award which gives us the opportunity to get to know the individual and gain a clearer picture of their potential.
The highest financial commitment we make is for a platinum award which is £1,500 for three years subject to annual review. This is reserved for outstanding young sports men and women who have usually shown they are capable of gaining Olympic or World Championship selection.
Once one of our athletes reaches this highest level, our support comes to an end. It is not our brief to finance elite level athletes who are able to draw on more comprehensive grants and sponsorship. Our job has been done by then in helping them up the sporting ladder.
Left: Olympic Champion and Sport Newcastle Patron Jonathan Edwards pictured with three of our most successful Platinum Award winners. Emily Large, World Junior Champion at 200m represented England at Commonwealth Games.
Gateshead Harriers sprinterJoy Eze is currently receiving our grants and has been on our radar since she was a Rising Star in 2017 at only twelve years old. She is now competing for Great Britain at European Under 20 Championship level.
Archer Alex Wise has set two national records and won World Cup bronze and silver medals. He’s a member of Archery GB’s Olympic Squad.
Our annual dinner last November saw our latest Platinum Award winner receive a grant which came as a complete surprise. Toby Aberdeen (pictured right) is a success story emerging from the Newcastle Fencing Centre where they also focus on Modern Pentathlon and its five constituent sports.
It’s within the pistol shooting discipline that this student at Newcastle’s Royal Grammar School is already aiming at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
He’s only 16 but has already taken gold in his first pistol shooting competition at senior level. He’s the GB Under 21 number one at rapid fire and was
the first British athlete to reach a rapid fire final in more than ten years at this summer’s Nordic Championships.
Sport Newcastle has been supporting him since 2017 and now he’s part of the British Shooting Talent Pathway Squad and British Shooting Elite S5 Pistol Squad. Fellow platinum athlete Joy Eze presented the cheque.
## **RISING STARS:**
## **Recognition and reward in the formative years.**
For many guests at the Annual Dinner, the announcement of the year’s crop of Rising Stars is the highlight of the evening. The ten young sports men and women are the pick of the area’s new sporting talent and have already shown a high level of achievement, often at international competitions.
Athletics, golf, swimming, gymnastics and the martial arts were among the sports reflecting the breadth our charity’s involvement.
Each Rising Star automatically receives a £250 bronze award plus the prestige in following a long line of young talent stretching back over 40 years and including Paul Gascoigne, Olympic Champion cyclist Victoria Pendleton and Rugby World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson.
Left: Proud Rising stars from the 2022 Annual Dinner, the first since there Covid Pandemic.
## **ANNUAL SPORTS AWARDS:**
## **Bringing Newcastle’s sporting community together.**
Our Rising Star awards may reflect Sport Newcastle’s grass roots philosophy, But our Annual Dinner has also been recognising the sporting successes of the city and the wider region for more than forty years. No other event brings together Newcastle’s sporting community at every level.
Following the celebration of our fiftieth anniversary, the trustees decided to streamline and modernise the evening while retaining its finest traditions. A sharper event focussed on just five premier awards supported by extensive video footage much of which was provided by our friends in regional television who have recognised the authenticity of many of the strong stories that emerge from our dinner. Coverage on ITV’s North East Tonight and BBC’s Look North has helped spread our message and would be the envy of far larger charities.
Glance down the winners list of the Wilkinson Sword and you can trace Tyneside’s sporting history of the last half century. The trophy itself is unique, donated by the Wilkinson razor company whose factory was in Cramlington.
Awarded to those whose life time achievements have left an indelible mark on our sporting consciousness, it is the proverbial Who’s Who of our local heroes - Super Kev, Big Al, Big Bren and Big Jack and, of course, Wor Jackie who received his award from His Royal
Highness the late Prince Philip the most distinguished of guests back in 1987 (left).
We were extremely lucky to have squeezed our 2020 dinner into the last few weeks before lockdown which was a lifeline for our income and enabled us to provide financial support as soon as sport emerged from national restrictions. In 2021 we staged a low key, invitation only event at the home of Newcastle Eagles basketball
(right) which enabled us to keep
our honours board ticking over.
Last year we shifted the Annual Dinner’s place in the calendar from March to November and returned to our spiritual home of Newcastle Civic Centre where every previous dinner had been held except 2021.
In 2018 we launched our re-branded awards. We replaced the rather old school Sports Personality of the Year with Sporting Success of the Year - alongside a Young version - both of which enabled us reflect and pay tribute to the whole cross section of the sporting life of Newcastle upon Tyne.
So the achievement of bringing major events to Tyneside like the British Masters Golf at Close House and Rugby’s European Cup finals weekend could be publicly applauded while retaining our ability to single out outstanding individuals like Eagles’ longest serving player Darius Defoe.
The 2022 Awards Dinner saw us make a successful return on which we hope to build. The list of award winners again underlines our aim to embrace our elite so they can brush shoulders with and inspire, the best at grass roots level.
## **2022 Award Winners:**
YOUNG SPORTING SUCCESS OF THE YEAR: Jessica Baker. Former Rising Star who won the National Women’s Amateur Golf Championship.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Marc Steutel. Eagles coach who stepped up to take temporary control of the Great Britain team and led them to a coveted place in basketball’s European Championships.
TEAM OF THE YEAR: Northumbria University Men’s Rugby League team - a 45 game unbeaten run took them to the British University’s Championship (BUCS)
WILKINSON SWORD: Dean Richards. Ten years at the Falcons as Director of Rugby piloting the club through turbulent times requiring two promotion campaigns which kept the club among the country’s elite.
SPORTING SUCCESS OF THE YEAR: Newcastle United. The city’s sport flag bearers had undergone an astonishing revival under new ownership and Eddie Howe’s outstanding management to restore the link between the club and it’s passionate fan base.
## **UNSUNG HEROES:**
## **Saying “thank-you” to the volunteers who do it all for love.**
Sometimes supporting grass roots sport isn’t only about handing out admittedly much
needed cash. Acknowledgement and appreciation can go a long way in motivating those people away from the spotlight without whose efforts clubs just wouldn’t function.
Sport Newcastle’s Unsung Heroes awards highlight the terrific work done by volunteers. Our considerable contacts in a wide range of sports clubs enable us to draw nominations that reveal stories of inspiring commitment.
Our 2021 awards evening gave us the opportunity to salute a few Unsung Heroes, most of whom had made significant contributions during the Covid pandemic. The most interesting perhaps, was recognising all the volunteer work done by the Newcastle Eagles Wings Team (right) who took on the weekly task of switching the the club’s Vertu Arena from midweek use as a vaccination centre to its normal weekend function as a basketball facility.
The Unsung Heroes is not a fixed annual event. But following the charity’s progress in the last twelve months we will be looking to relaunch it in the near future.