An Inspirational Evening at the Women’s Sport Trust #BeAGameChanger Awards!
It’s pretty hard to believe everything that’s happened to us since we first started in April 2015, with a little idea and 10 women!
Since then, we have encouraged more and more ladies to come and learn to play football in a fun, non-judgemental and comfortable environment, where everyone is equal.
Football is one of the most popular sports and everyone should have the opportunity to play, regardless of age or whether you have never played before. We are very proud of every one of our women who turn up week in, week out, just to have fun playing football.
We are just as proud that we were 1 of 3 Finalists in the Women’s Sport Trust #BeAGameChanger Awards, held at The Troxy in London, last night. Along with Opening Boundaries and the Muslimah Sports Association, we were announced as Finalists in the “Inspiring Initiative Local” category, after getting though 2 panels of judging.
The Awards Evening was attended by many influential people in Sport, along with some great sponsors and media organisations. Hosted by Vassos Alexander and Ebony Rainford-Brent the evening celebrated the visionaries who are driving the game forward, in Women’s Sport.
After the final stage of a public vote, none of the Finalists knew who had won until their names were called out on the night. To our surprise, we were named the Winners of the “Inspiring Initiative Local Award” and were asked to go on stage to collect our award and have a chat with Vassos Alexander, who not only presents with Chris Evans on BBC R2 but likes to run extremely long (ridiculous!) distances. To say we were overwhelmed would be a bit of an understatement!
We always say there is more to be done and we won’t stop until the whole Country is getting the opportunities for its older generation of women to play football for fun!
Finally, we would like to thank all the Trustees at Women’s Sport Trust for an amazing evening and all the work that goes into promoting and showcasing Women’s Sport. WST have just launched their #ShowUp campaign, in conjunction with Sky Sports, to get more people to #ShowUp to events and support Women’s Sport. What will you do to #ShowUp?
The Women’s Sport Trust Press Release is below, which includes details of all the Winners:
Winners announced for the Women’s Sport Trust #BeAGameChanger Awards 2018
The World Cup winning England women’s cricket team, footballer turned professional boxer Stacey Copeland, England and Wales Cricket Board and England Rugby’s Inner Warrior campaign are amongst the winners of the Women’s Sport Trust #BeAGameChanger Awards 2018.
Women’s Sport Trust has announced the winners of this year’s Women’s Sport Trust #BeAGameChanger Awards, celebrating the visionaries and game changers driving the future of women’s sport.
A range of individuals, organisations and initiatives were honoured at the event which took place last night at Troxy, East London.
The award for Individual Sporting Role Model which shines a light on an elite athlete who has used their influence to drive forward women’s sport was presented to footballer turned professional boxer Stacey Copeland. As one of one of only six professional female boxers in the UK, she is passionate about both challenging inequality and celebrating success of women in sport.
Team Sporting Role Model was awarded to the World Cup winning England women’s cricket team. Their win, in front of a sell-out crowd and 1.1 million UK TV viewers, was a watershed moment for the sport, inspiring a whole new generation of players and fans.
As well as recognising athletes and teams driving forward women’s sport, the #BeAGameChanger Awards also celebrates other individuals, organisations and initiatives that have had a significant impact. Categories include: Ambassador of Women’s Sport; National Governing Body of the Year; Brand / Sponsor Partnership of the Year; Inspiring Initiative – National and Local; Media Initiative of the Year; and Imagery of the Year.
Ambassador of Women’s Sport was awarded to double Olympian and Commonwealth gold and silver medalist and now the most senior black woman in athletics administration Lorna Boothe.
National Governing Body of the Year was awarded to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). In 2017, the ECB made huge strides to make cricket a sport for all.
The Brand / Sponsor Partnership of the Year award which recognises the vital role of investment in raising the profile and increasing the impact of women’s sport was awarded to Investec’s partnership with GB and England Women’s Hockey.
The Inspiring Initiative categories recognises projects that have had a significant impact on progressing women’s sport at both a national and a local level. This year’s National Inspiring Initiative award was presented to England Rugby’s Inner Warrior campaign which aims to encourage more female players into rugby. The Local Inspiring Initiative was presented to Crawley Old Girls (COGs) which aims to enable older women to learn to play football.
An award for Outstanding Contribution to Women’s Sport, chosen by Women’s Sport Trust, was presented to former England captain and founding member of the Rugby Football Union for Women Carol Isherwood.
Jo Bostock, Co-founder and Joint CEO of the Women’s Sport Trust commented “Why is the Women’s Sport Trust so committed to running the #BeAGameChanger Awards? Because compelling stories about the trailblazers need to be told. They set the pace and show what’s possible. Most importantly they stimulate other brands, sport and the media to step up and take action. Building this momentum will ensure the future of women’s sport.”
The full list of winners is as follows:
Sporting Role Model – Individual
- Stacey Copeland
Sporting Role Model – Team
- England Women’s Cricket Team
Ambassador of Women’s Sport
- Lorna Boothe
National Governing Body of the Year
- England and Wales Cricket Board
Brand / Sponsor Partnership of the Year
- Investec is ‘Principal Partner of GB and England Women’s Hockey’
Inspiring Initiative – National
- England Rugby’s Inner Warrior campaign
Inspiring Initiative – Local
- Crawley Old Girls (COGs)
Media Initiative of the Year
- The Tough Girl Podcast
Imagery of the Year
- Standing in the Light
Outstanding Contribution
- Carol Isherwood
About Women’s Sport Trust
Founded in 2012, the Women’s Sport Trust is the most influential charity for women’s sport in the UK. It is dedicated to raising the visibility and increasing the profile of women’s sport. This is achieved through the promotion of diverse athlete role models, increased media coverage and an improved funding landscape. The Women’s Sport Trust has relationships with the UK’s leading female athletes and influencers from across the business of sport. Patrons include Anna Watkins MBE, Kate Richardson-Walsh OBE, Kelly Smith MBE, Sophie Christiansen CBE and Maggie Alphonsi MBE. For more information, visit http://www.womensporttrust.com
For media enquiries please contact:
Emma Lax
Women’s Sport Trust
Email: media@womenssporttrust.com
Tel: +44 (0) 208 939 1190
Mob: +44 (0) 745 326 3225
Imagery and comment available on request
Connect with Women’s Sport Trust:
Website: www.womenssporttrust.com
Twitter: @womensporttrust
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