HRH recognises volunteers at RYA Annual Awards Ceremony
by Louise Nicholls, RYA 29 Nov 2008 07:18 GMT
28 November 2008
RYA Award winners left to right: Rod Little, Chris Simon, John Morley, Eddie Ramsden MBE, Michael Roberts, Paul King © RYA
HRH the Princess Royal, President of the RYA, honoured some of boating’s most outstanding volunteers yesterday as she presented the 2008 RYA Community and RYA Awards at the RYA’s annual awards ceremony held at London.
HRH the Princess Royal commented; “It is really important to make volunteers feel valued for what they do. Often they just get up and get on with things and these awards are just one way to recognise the work these people do.”
A total of 57 awards were presented to winners from across the UK
ranging from as far afield as the Isle of Man to Plymouth. 50 of the
awards were presented for community voluntary work, Community Awards,
and the remaining seven, RYA Awards, were made to recipients who have
made a specific contribution to the RYA both regionally and nationally.
RYA Award winners were, Paul King, Rod Little, Eddie Ramsden, Paul
Rayner, Michael Roberts, Chris Simon.
This year’s Francis Elkin award, which recognises an individual who has
made a significant contribution, in time, effort and personal endeavour
in enabling people with disabilities to become involved in sailing, was
awarded to Rutland Sailability’s John Morley.
Jackie Bennetts, Volunteer Development Officer, RYA said: “This years’
Awards have attracted a very high calibre of nominees with award winners
putting in an average of 35 years service as volunteers for their clubs.
“Occasions like this allow us to fully recognise and celebrate the
continuous hard work these people put in to our sport, many of which
often go unnoticed – they really are the unsung heroes.”
All the winners enjoyed a celebratory lunch in the presence of HRH the
Princess Royal, and were presented with a commemorative medallion and
certificate.
Rod Carr Chief Executive of the RYA said: “This annual awards ceremony
is one of the most enjoyable events of the year for me. The work and
voluntary time that RYA Community Award and RYA Award winners put into
our sport is simply astounding. Every one of the 57 award winners has
exceeded the reasonable expectations of their fellow volunteers, club
members and the boating community in general. Without their sheer hard
work, commitment, and expertise our sport would be immeasurably poorer.
These people are an inspiration to us all and it is my pleasure to
recognise and celebrate their work through these awards.”
The RYA Awards and Community Awards acknowledge the importance of
volunteers within the sailing and boating communities. They recognise
the outstanding contributions, time, effort and experience individuals
have made to making it possible for others to enjoy boating and sailing,
from establishing clubs, committee participation, to boat maintenance
and training.
The Community Awards are broken down into three categories recognising;
Lifetime Commitment, Outstanding Contribution and Youth.
Since its conception three years ago, the youth category, which
recognises voluntary work carried out by young people specifically, has
seen considerable growth, with four youth awards being given this year.
These recognised the exceptional commitment of young people, despite the
pressures of school, college and university life.