Ross Juniors Football Club topped off an amazing year when they were named as Community Club of the Year at the annual Herefordshire and Worcestershire Sports Awards on Wednesday, November 4th at Sixways Stadium.

This came soon after the club was presented with the Queens Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) which was awarded to the Club in recognition of the extraordinary work of the volunteers.

After the presentation at Worcester one of the club’s longest serving coaches, Mark Fletcher, told the Ross Gazette: “I am speechless for once. For the club to be on the shortlist is an achievement but to win is unbelievable. I am honoured to be involved in such a terrific club.”

Another club member who attended the event, Mark Ravenhill, added: “Absolutely awesome, what the club keeps achieving is astonishing. This is a club that shows what can be achieved by everybody working together.”

To win the award the club beat off stiff competition. The evening was attended by many dignitaries and the guest speaker was Gail Emms MBE, who was a world champion at badminton. She was an inspirational and motivational speaker.

Amongst the club’s most notable achievements is the growth of the club. It now has 27 teams, both male and female. The age ranges from four to 76. It is one of the largest football clubs in Herefordshire.

The girls’ section only started three years ago, and has six teams and over 80 girls playing football on a regular basis. RJFC is one the leading girls’ clubs in Herefordshire. One of the teams is RJFC’s first ever league champions in 2015 and four other teams are cup winners.

A mixed walking football team has been created, with target range 50+. It is designed to help people keep an active lifestyle irrespective of their age, as well as providing opportunities for people to get back into football who perhaps had to stop due to injuries.

RJFC, together with Ross Cricket Club, are the leading partners of Ross Sports Centre. They have raised funds to provide a superb refurbishment programme for the derelict building. This enhanced facility is now a ‘sports hub’ which promotes excellent football, cricket, sports, leisure and tourism opportunities for the benefit of the whole community.

Recently, the club has started fortnightly ladies training with the objective to field a ladies team very soon. Getting more people active is again the idea behind this new venture, as women of all ages and abilities are encouraged to come and join in.

The award is a recognition of the large and diverse group of volunteers within RJFC, all of whom are enthusiastic and committed to the club’s vision of ’football for all’. There is a brilliant team of volunteers; as coaches, referees, as outstanding organisers and superb fundraisers, who are all supported and developed by the club.

Football helps people to become active, fit, healthy, disciplined, developing key skills eg team working, which are being firmly established at an early age.

It was an inspirational evening celebrating the success of those involved in delivering community sport, as well as highlighting the achievements of the counties’ talented athletes. Award winners ranged from six year old Louis Rickett, from the Vale Golf Club, who won BBC Newcomer of the Year, up to Unsung Hero winner, 91 year old Alec Davies, from Worcester St Johns Cycling Club.

Organised by the Sports Partnership Herefordshire & Worcestershire, the awards recognise members of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire community for their sport achievement and education to sport within the community.

The winners were unveiled at the event, which was attended by more than 250 amateur and professional sports people, local businesses and dignitaries.

Olympic Silver medallist Gail Emms MBE, said “I have had a fantastic evening at the Sports Awards, it has been a truly inspirational evening. It’s so important to have events like this to celebrate the success and hard work of inspirational people because they are the people who get up every morning and help someone get better, help someone learn a new sport and really recognise their passion. Without these people British sport wouldn’t exist. Congratulations to all the winners and congratulations to all the nominees, they all did themselves extremely proud.”

Stephen Brewster, Director of The Sports Partnership, said: ‘This event is our chance to honour our local sports men and women, coaches, volunteers, clubs and officials. It’s not only about celebrating the achievements of the huge amount of sporting talent we have in the counties, but about recognising and saying thank you to those involved in running grassroot sports clubs. The awards give us a chance to champion the hard work and talent that exists within Herefordshire and Worcestershire.”

A full list of winners below:

Senior Male Sports Person of the Year

Phil Pratt (GB Men’s Wheelchair Basketball)

Senior Female Sports Person of the Year

Barbara Gibson (Malvern Hills Badminton Club)

Junior Male Sports Person of the Year

James Bilbao (City of Hereford Swimming Club)

Junior Female Sports Person of the Year

Tazmin Pugh (Worcester Swimming Club, Pershore Swimming Club and Ellesmere Swimming Club)

Coach of the Year

Tony Wright (Kidderminster Tennis Club)

Young Volunteer of the Year

Matthew Plumpton (Worcester Parkrun)

Junior Team of the Year

Barnards Green U11/U12 Cricket Club

Community Club of the Year

Ross Juniors FC

Disabled Sports Person of the Year

Jennifer Chesterman (Special Olympics GB/Special Olympics Worcestershire)

Volunteer of the Year

Peter Barker (Upton Rowing Club)

Unsung Hero

Alec Davies (Worcester St Johns Cycling Club)

Community Project of the Year

Homeless Rugby Warriors WYMCA

BBC Newcomer of the Year

Louis Rickett (The Vale Golf Club)