Active Herefordshire & Worcestershire Partnership was recognised at the School Games Impact Awards 2026, for their work ensuring that disengaged young people and girls remain active playing sport, writes Joseph Terry.
The Active Partnership, which hosts the local School Games Organiser, won a Young Person Impact Award, judged by the Youth Sport Trust and partners, at Telford International Centre on 2 June.
The project empowered underrepresented and disengaged young people, including girls and SEND students, to view exercise positively and build up their confidence.
Claire Kemp, 45, from partners The Academy Programme who worked in cooperation with British Weight Lifting, spoke about the importance of sport being unlocked to girls, ensuring that girls remain in sport.
Kemp said: “I think it’s so important that sport crosses all these barriers that females can sometimes face.
“There’s such a massive dropout of girls who stop playing sport, particularly when young girls go into secondary school.
“Projects like this have a massive impact and make it much easier for girls to stay engaged, finding sport as an enjoyable activity not fearful one.”
Kerrie O’Mahony, 41, is the Strategic Lead for Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire, who was ecstatic after winning the award.
O’Mahony said: “It feel absolutely amazing right now, because we know this the Young Person Impact Award, and we know how much this project has impacted young people in our area.”
Jackie Latham, 46-years-old, is a project officer and she detailed how powerful empowering young people to become leaders was.
Latham said: “The young people we have reached out to have learned to be themselves, when before there was no pathway for young people to be allowed to believe in themselves.
“This project shows that young people drive the motion to create impactful change.”
The awards, which concluded with a keynote speech from former Team England basketball player Daniel Edozie, honoured educational professionals who have promoted mental and physical wellbeing while tackling inequalities through sport and physical exercise.
Clare Warburton, who leads the School Games Mark at the Youth Sport Trust, spoke after the event and praised the impactful work of educational professionals outside the classroom.
Warburton added: “Young people are designed to move, and whether that’s through community sport or physical activity, each time a young person is active they are moving their minds and building relationships.
“We’ve got some tremendous School Games Organisers and Active Partnerships that are absolutely wonderful, and it has been great to celebrate with everyone.”