Lloyd Winters is North Midlands Volunteer of the Year
27/05/10 by Paul Bolton
Lloyd Winters of Yardley & District was voted the North Midlands RFU Volunteer of the Year at a glittering ceremony at Worcester Warriors' Sixways ground this evening.
Winters, a former player for the east Birmingham club, has been chairman of Yardley & District's youth section for 16 years and was a key figure in them becoming one of the first clubs in the country to attain RFU Seal of Approval status.
He was presented with his award at the fourth annual North Midlands RFU Volunteers Awards, the county's equivalent of the Oscars, by North Midlands President Steve Guy.
The awards recognise the immense contribution that volunteers make to rugby in Greater Birmingham, Shropshire and Worcestershire & Herefordshire to ensure that men, women and children are able to play rugby.
The awards are voted on by the North Midlands Community Rugby sub-committee following nominations from clubs.
Craig Browne of Droitwich was Young Volunteer of the Year. Browne is the club's Vrugby volunteer and has organised fund-raising events including the Sport Relief Mile.
Tony Bevan of Kidderminster Carolians was the Mini/Junior Club Volunteer of the Year. He has been involved with the club for 25 years, has coached teams from Tag to colts level and also the women's team. Bevan is also Kidderminster's coaching co-ordinator.
Andy Disley of Bridgnorth won the Senior Club Volunteer of the Year Award for his involvement with the club in numerous capacities including chairman of the bar committee, vice-chairman, treasurer and vice-president.
The Club Volunteer of the Year Award went to Mick Lee of Old Saltleians for his outstanding contribution to the north Birmingham club. Lee was a driving force in Old Saltleians attaining RFU Seal of Approval status, drawing up Club Development Plans and developing links with local schools.
The first winner of the Groundsman of the Year Award went to Steve Loveridge of Old Saltleians. Loveridge has been involved with the club for 15 years and has been responsible for looking after the pitches for five years.
The Long Service Award went to John Paul of Bromsgrove, formerly responsible for managing the shop at Bromsgrove's Finstall Park ground. His other duties included running the bar and stock-taking and he is now the club's membership secretary.
Terry Rees, the new president of the North Midlands Society of Rugby Football Referees, presented the Dunsbee Trophy to Droitwich. The trophy, presented in memory of Alan Dunsbee, is voted on by North Midlands referees and marks the care that clubs show to match officials. Camp Hill and Kidderminster Carolians were joint third.
The DLT Cup for the most improved referee went to Rob Cross of Birmingham. Three new awards were presented to the Sub Union Volunteers of the Year chosen by each of the component counties that together comprise North Midlands. They went to: Greater Birmingham - Karen Gibbons (Camp Hill). Shropshire - Bryn Roberts (Newport). Worcestershire & Herefordshire - Paddy Hartley (Evesham).
North Midlands RFU Volunteer Awards 2009/10 Nominees: Young Volunteer of the Year: Stephanie McNally (Hereford), William Worth (Yardley & District), Georgina Griffiths (Pershore), Dan Powell (Luctonians), Craig Browne (Droitwich), Shuan and Liam Hughes (Birmingham & Solihull), Jack Fleming (Camp Hill), James Barron (Kings Norton). Mini/Junior Club Volunteer of the Year: Ian Young (Bromsgrove), Tony Bevan (Kidderminster Carolians), Lloyd Winters (Yardley & District), Lesley Lee (Old Saltleians), Ashley White (Pershore), Allen Beirne (Birmingham & Solihull), Cath Coutanche (Camp Hill), Paul Glenn (Aston OE), Graham Ashley (Whitchurch), Nick Green (Bournville), Steve Washington (Kings Norton), Ian Haines (Moseley), Helen Cullwick and Nathalie Aylward (Upton on Severn). Senior Club Volunteer of the Year: David Breese (Old Halesonians), Rob Thomas (Market Drayton), Phil Amphlett (Bromsgrove), Alan Dixon (Kidderminster Carolians), Don Poole (Warley), Baz Sanderson (Birmingham Exiles), Andy Disley (Bridgnorth), David Davies (Shrewsbury), Rodney Edwards (Hereford), Bill Hurley (Pershore), Steve Hughes (Birmingham & Solihull), Richard Hudson (Camp Hill), Sean Bairstow (Worcester Wanderers), Ian Gay (Bournville), Peter Short (kings Norton). Club Volunteer of the Year: Jon Charlton (Birmingham Barbarians), Ray Stokes (Dudley Kingswinford), Peter Hunt (Bromsgrove), Neil Sollom (Kidderminster Carolians), Spencer Charles Lamb (Warley), Farid Ahmed (Birmingham Exiles), Elizabeth Rochelle (Bridgnorth), Rob E Davies (Hereford), Mick Lee (Old Saltleians), Colin Thomas (Pershore), Hugh Black (Luctonians), Carolyne Edwards (Droitwich), Arturo Lupoli (Birmingham & Solihull), Karen Gibbons (Camp Hill), Gordon Loffman (Aston OE), Julian Farmer (Stourport on Severn), Charles Champken (Bournville), Jason Thomas (Kings Norton). Groundsman of the Year: Richard Pegg and Martin Perkins (Old Halesonians), Roger Shakespeare (Dudley Kingswinford), Mark Blakeway (Kidderminster Carolians), Andy Harris (Birmingham Exiles), John Davies (Tenbury), Steve Loveridge (Old Saltleians), Edward Day (Pershore), Paul Moore (Camp Hill), Ian Nelson (Kings Norton), Peter Collins (Five Ways OE). Long Service Award: Roy Maye (Birmingham Barbarians ),The late John Beeden (Market Drayton), John Paul (Bromsgrove), Nigel Oakes (Kidderminster Carolians), Peter Davies (Warley), Frank Jewitt (Birmingham Exiles), Frank Dullehan (Hereford), David Treadwell (Yardley & District), Roger Bowkett (Tenbury), Fred Cooper (Pershore), Brian Burton (Camp Hill), Tony Stafford (Aston OE), Andrew Foster (Stourport on Severn), Mickey O'Sullivan (Bournville), Dicky Brookes (Kings Norton).
