The chair of Wrekin Riders BMX Club was the biggest winner at Shropshire’s 11th annual physical activity and community sports ‘Oscars’, the Energize Awards.
Kieran Edwards – who turned his back on a nine-to-five job to dedicate himself to the club – picked up three accolades, including the William Penny Brookes trophy for Outstanding Contribution. He also won the Local Hero title, and his club took the Active Spaces and Places prize. Wrekin Riders started as a small club, but it now has national standard competition facilities and will host two rounds of this year’s British BMX Series, which will bring around 3,000 people to the county.
The Energize awards celebrate outstanding community projects, workplaces, schools, volunteers, community facilities, and leaders. Two-time Paralympic archery medallist Mel Clarke was the guest of honour at the event, held at the Telford Hotel and Golf Resort. Energize chair David Sherratt said, “It’s not just the winners and runners-up we celebrate at an event like this. We salute all of those who have been nominated, together with the wider community.”
Five of the Energize Awards winners – Kathryn Stanworth, Sadie Craig, Rachael Swinnerton, Elite Dance Studios, and Breaking Chains – went on to represent Shropshire at the West Midlands community sport finals, held in Birmingham on December 7.
