Regional Volunteer Awards 2024

As a sport we are indebted to the volunteers that make athletics and running happen.

The regional volunteer awards are organised in partnership with Regional Councils and provide an opportunity to celebrate the fantastic contribution that athletics and running volunteers make.

Why nominate?

The regional volunteer awards are here to recognise volunteers who are often under-appreciated and don’t get the recognition they deserve. Volunteers may well have enhanced an experience that has benefitted you, friends, family, residents, students, colleagues, club members, etc.

Thanking volunteers can be so powerful and we have seen how much this has meant to volunteers and their loved ones in previous years. We would like to use the awards to say thank you for all the time that is dedicated to athletics and running and encourage you to make a nomination.

Nominations close 18 June 2024.

Make a nomination Go to our Frequently Asked Questions section

You can read more about some of last year's award winners below.

The nomination process

Our Club Support Manager Richard Ayling talks about the awards and how to nominate:

Nominations close 18 June 2024

Make a nomination

In 2024 we celebrate volunteer excellence in 8 categories. Click on a category below to find out more and make a nomination.

We have produced a downloadable document that provides details of all 8 categories that feature as part of the 2024 regional volunteer awards. The information with each category highlights eligibility, target audience and what we want to celebrate through each category. We've also produced examples of winning nominations.

Download category summary (PDF 140kB) Download sample nominations (PDF 170kB)

What's changed for the 2024 process?

Our Club Support Manager Richard Ayling talks about some improvements we've made to the 2024 awards:

Other information

Room to Reward

England Athletics has teamed up with Room to Reward and will be rewarding one winner from each of the nine regional volunteer awards with a FREE hotel break!!

Room to Reward are a unique charity working in partnership with hotel partners, who donate unsold rooms - during times when they know occupancy isn’t going to be particularly high - to charities, community groups, sports clubs and organisations that rely on volunteers.

Sustainability

In 2023 we worked hard to provide sustainably-sourced trophies, certificates and frames, and the buffets at each venue have used local suppliers. We aim to do the same for the 2024 events.

Spread the word

Download our 2024 Volunteer Awards 1 page flyer (PDF 300kB)
Download our 2024 Volunteer Awards 2 page flyer (PDF 470kB)

Frequently Asked Questions

When can I nominate?

In April 2024, you will be able to start nominating individuals for regional awards. The nominations will be open until 18 June. You can nominate anybody if they meet the awards criteria (they don’t have to be a member of your club).

How are the awards reviewed?

After the nominations are received, independent panels for each region review the awards. Those who are shortlisted for an award will hear back in August and will then be invited to a regional volunteer award event in September/October.

When are the regional volunteer award events?

Yorkshire and Humberside: Friday 6 September
West Midlands: Monday 9 September
East Midlands: Friday 20 September
South East: Wednesday 25 September
North West: Friday 27 September
South West: Saturday 28 September
London: Wednesday 2 October
North East: Saturday 5 October
East: Sunday 6 October

These dates are provisional.

Is there a national event?

Yes. An independent panel will assess the winners from each region. National winners will be invited to attend the England Athletics Hall of Fame on 2 November 2024 so please save the date. The location is still TBC.

Where are the regions?

East, East Midlands, London, North East, North-West, South East, South West and West Midlands.

Find out more about Regional Councils

Can a club submit more than one nomination?

Yes, you can submit as many nominations as you like and nominate multiple volunteers within your club! You can also nominate more than one individual per category.

Is there any benefit in getting multiple members to nominate the same person?

The number of nominations received for each person doesn’t have any impact on the scoring process.

We would prefer nominations to be coordinated and focus on putting together one strong nomination, and discourage multiple single nominations for the same person.

How long is 200 words?

The three nomination description boxes in the online form allow a maximum of 200 words each. To give you an idea of how long this is, the ‘Why Nominate’ paragraphs at the top of this web page total about 100 words.

So try to answer the questions but tell the story and don’t get off topic too much!

Can a Leader in Running Fitness be nominated for Coach of the Year?

This award is targeted at lead coaches. If the individual you are nominating doesn’t have a Level 2+, Athletics Coach or Coach in Running Fitness qualification they will not be considered for the award. The most appropriate award to nominate your Run Leaders for would be the Contribution to Athletics and Running.

Is there an alternative to typing everything into the online form?

If writing isn’t your strength, this year you can also use speech-to-text that converts your spoken words into words on the form.

Install the Voice In speech-to-text extension on Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. This will add a microphone icon on your toolbar and you just click into the relevant part of the form to fill in, click the microphone, and speak your answer. It will automatically type in.

When I submit a nomination, will I receive a notification?

After you have submitted a nomination, you will receive an email afterwards along with a copy of your nomination text. You’ll hear by the end of August if it was successful; if not we thank you for your time and hope you will try again next year.

Will the person you have nominated be made aware that they have been nominated?

Yes. After you nominate somebody, they will receive an email from England Athletics highlighting that they have been nominated for an award.

Can I nominate a person who has passed away?

Nominating a person who has passed away can be very cathartic. It also lets their friends and family know how much they were appreciated.

So we are happy to receive nominations for a person who has passed away in the last year (i.e. the nomination period).

You might want to put your own email in the box for their email address.

Which categories are having a live vote?

Club of the Year and Community Project of the Year will have a live vote for 2024. After the regional panel have worked through the nominations, the top nominations in both of these categories will go on the England Athletics website for a live vote. Further details will be communicated closer to the time.

Which region should I select for nominations?

Nominations should be based on the region where the club/volunteer is listed as being affiliated with England Athletics (this is listed on the England Athletics club portal). If delivery is split across more than one region then please ask England Athletics for confirmation of which region to submit the nomination in.

Contact us

Any questions, please contact Rich Ayling at rayling@englandathletics.org or 07718 394751

Volunteering opportunities in athletics and running

Volunteering in our sport can be extremely rewarding – sharing your knowledge and passion with others to get more people into and enjoying our sport.

If you’re inspired by our Regional Volunteer Awards, and would like to get involved, then you can find out more by clicking the headings below: