South East Annual Awards Report
HASSRA SOUTH EAST ANNUAL AWARDS 2023 PRESENTED AT CS CLUB, LONDON WEDNESDAY 20th MARCH 2024
Our awards start with recognising the efforts of members through Merit Awards. These are much coveted and are issued sparingly recognising HASSRA endeavours over several years. Although there is no written guidance around receiving more than one merit award, it is considered that a reasonable lapse of time will have taken place.
MERIT AWARD WINNERS 2023
Robyn McDonald - Merit Award
Robyn has been a shining star at recruiting new people to take part in the festivals after taking part in her first one in 2022. Promoting events both regionally and nationally, this has led to a good increase in first timers joining the South East set-up as well as at local club level.
Julie Wood - Merit Award
Julie has been an ever-present part of the South East Golf Society for a fair few years and has represented the Region at the National Championships on numerous occasions. Having won the National Handicap event back in 2012, she went one better in 2023 by winning the National Scratch title at the September Festival. A very friendly individual, fully deserving of this merit award.
Mary Struthers - Merit Award
Mary Struthers has been active in both Rounders and the indoor Triathlon and is a great participant, keen to learn and loves the celebration afterwards especially after winning the National indoor Triathlon event in April 2023. Much thought of by all her team mates and South East members, she is a real asset to the Region.
LOCAL OFFICE CLUB AWARDS 2023
Although every entry received wins £25 towards club funds, the number of entries is less than a third of all clubs in the Region. The Awards committee had some difficult considerations and decisions were made to separate clubs, although the highly commended could not be split and so two clubs have been recognized.
Highly Commended £150 – Newport IOW.
Highly Commended £150 – Hastings and Bexhill.
Best Small Club Runner Up £200 – Ryde.
Best Large Club Runner Up and £200 – Southampton.
Best Small Club and £300 – Fareham.
Best Large Club and £300 – Ramsgate.
ARTS & CRAFT CONTRIBUTOR 2023
This award recognises greater participation in HASSRA and its activities, especially those members who participate in non-sporting activities, e.g., crafts, quizzes, drama, music, photography, baking, etc. This award is to recognise significant achievement by an individual member in their chosen activity and a significant contribution to HASSRA in the year in question.
This year’s winner has been a leading light in the world of photography, he regularly participates in the Regional twice-yearly competitions, has made submissions to the national event as well as representing South East in the September Festival, with varying degrees of success.
Passionate about his hobby and recently was recognised by a invite to the British Photography Awards with a picture he had submitted being shortlisted in the Land Animal category, something that he had spent 4 years waiting for the perfect moment.
He was also shortlisted for two other National awards, his picture ‘Railway to the Top’ was shortlisted in the Landscape Photographer of the Year and ‘One in a Million’ was shortlisted in the British Wildlife Photography Awards
They have offered to become part of the judging panel of the South East photography competitions and willing to give time to give assistance and feedback to competitors and entries.
the very worthy winner is: Liam Willis from Hastings HUB club.
SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR 2023
Our winner this year has excelled in a number of sports, she led the way as the HASSRA National Team won the Overall Champions Shield at the Civil Service National Swimming Championships in May 2023.
Points are awarded for placings in all events during the 2-day Championships and
Not only did she win the Victrix Ludorum Trophy as the Top lady competitor, but she also enabled the Ladies Team to win the Women's Overall Championship Trophy.
She also competes in Veterans Athletics and has won numerous medals for Shot Putt, Hammer, Discus and Javelin representing the Southern Counties Veterans Athletics Club plus her aptitude at Badminton has been recognised, not only as a Festival entrant but she was selected to play for the Sussex Masters Badminton Squad against other county players.
Additional details of our winner’s achievements are within the awards booklet that will be published after this event.
This year’s winner is Jayne Baldock, however she is unable to be here today as she is currently in Poland representing GB
CSSC Swimming Achievements
Jayne won the Women's Springboard Diving and was second in the firm board. She competed in the Water Polo and was one of our 3 Ladies who won the Lifesaving Team Championship.
Jayne also scored valuable points in 6 individual swimming races and took part in 8 Relay swims. She did everything she could to help the team win the points they needed for the Overall Championship Trophy.
Jaynes Athletics achievements in 2023:
12/02/23: Gold medal shot putt – V40, Southern Counties Veterans Championships – Lee Valley London
4 x Southern League athletics senior matches – Hammer, Discus, Shot putt, Javelin & Pole Vault
4 x Southern League athletics masters matches - Hammer, Discus, Shot putt, Javelin & Pole Vault
14/05/23: Sussex County Athletics Senior Championships – Bronze medal Hammer, Bronze medal Discus
06/08/23: England Masters Inter Area Challenge, in Nuneaton, selected to represent Southern Counties Veterans Athletics Club, v40, 3rd Hammer.
23/09/23: International event, representing GB at European Masters Athletics Championships, Pescara Italy, V40, 10th place Hammer with new PB.
Badminton:
Jane regularly competes in Hastings & Eastbourne league badminton matches for her club (Woodlands) in mixed doubles & ladies doubles.
July 2023 - Jayne represented HASSRA South East at the National Festival in the Badminton in Warwick. She yet again proved herself to be a real asset to the region, and to the team at the festivals as a whole.
Sept 2023 - Selected for the Sussex Masters Badminton squad, V40, playing first league match against Buckinghamshire at High Wycombe.
PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2023
This year’s winner has been ever present in the darts and the festivals, as well as other events for a few years now and can wow you with her singing at the celebration dinner! Great fun, always engaging with others and especially with any first timers making sure they enjoy themselves and feel fully part of the team. She is definitely a larger-than-life personality worthy of this award.
Our Personality of the Year is Lily Chui.
BUSINESS SPONSOR OF THE YEAR 2023
For a few years now Margaret has overseen the Ramsgate Office which is a Counter Fraud, Compliance and Debt Interventions site, linked to a Job Centre and separate REEP site. The site is also home to a wide range of staff classed as “Residents” who undertake various National DWP work.
Ramsgate is a highly successful HASSRA office, winning the Regional Best Large Club last year and on several other occasions and has continued to retain high levels of membership, always above the 90% mark (currently 230 members). This is especially noticeable bearing in mind the additional staff recruited and trained on site during the last year and is still ongoing at this time.
We doubt anyone here would fail to agree that the success of the Club is due in no small part to its excellent management engagement at all levels, and Margaret has been the major factor in ensuring that staff wellbeing and HASSRA is at the forefront of office discussions.
Her support of both the HASSRA and Wellbeing committees is excellent, and with such a high membership on site the Wellbeing committee includes several HASSRA members. Both committees work together for the benefit of all the staff and having her in the background gives them the freedom to plan activities available to all, regardless of their location and position in the office dynamic.
She has always had a very keen interest in Wellbeing, knowing how important it is to the staff and office, which has led the site’s engagement levels continuing to be above the Departmental target.
Margaret is always keen to take part in plenty of the planned activities herself as she is able. As site manager, she supports an array of activities from the arrangement of individual goodie bags, Teams Bingo, the continuing and phenomenally successful Duck Races and even the introduction of a Zombie themed Escape Room on site. That one especially was an enormous success with most staff able to take part, including those working from home after she ensured that the room used had the necessary IT to include as many as possible.
She allows the club to run draws for fundraising, themed raffles and has made sure that the site retains its ever- popular pool table for members use and the long-standing donated books library, which both form part of the main staff relaxation out area. She has also added a quiet room space for lunchtimes, with puzzles and board games available to all.
Ramsgate has always been a large charity fundraising site, and Margaret activity promotes and encourages the Club and all staff to support the nominated local charities as well as the established national events such as Children in Need. Through her regular “All Staff Call” via Teams she promotes HASSRA and wellbeing fully, which allows the committee to advertise and promote activities leading to the recruitment of new staff joining or moving to the site.
As we have already said, the Club has been continually active for many years, but it would not be remiss to say that under Margaret’s time as Club Sponsor it has gone to a higher level. The pandemic was an unpleasant time for all, but as things return to some form of normality her level of support remains constant and really adds to the sites level of wellbeing and activity.
As a Club and Office as a whole, we consider Margaret is certainly worthy of recognition.
This year’s winner, Margaret Fuller, Ramsgate.
INNOVATION AWARD 2023
Our 2023 winner is Maggie Smith – Retired BOM Member.
It would not be unfair to say the Maggie has been, and continues to be a real driving force behind the success of HASSRA South East. As a long standing BOM member and remaining so despite retiring a few years ago, she has taken over the web pages and all it involves with a real passion and dedication that is often hard to find.
In 2023 she took this to an even higher level, introducing the members to the fun of using HASSRA Live by planning and staging several events and competitions.
From arts, craft, photography, quizzes, special events around the Coronation and more her use and promotion of the benefits of using the online platform has seen the regional page visits increase as members become aware of the ease in which they can use HASSRA Live, and more importantly make the most of their membership.
Her monthly online newsletters are always full of activities, news, and information for both the members and the network of clubs across the region.
All communications done by HASSRA Live mailshots, web page updates and the Regions Facebook pages have been well planned and received positive feedback. She has planned plenty of quizzes, but her themed online race events have probably been her greatest achievement.
She staged an early summer Yacht race, a Halloween themed Zombie race and a Christmas Elf race, which sound straightforward but are anything but. Members choose their yacht / zombie / elf’s name and colours, after which she then produces webpages with every entry clearly shown for participants to see.
Each race involves her doing a draw, going online every day, and updating the webpages with which participants have fallen and the reason why, members having been asked for suggestions as to how participants fall via Facebook comments. You therefore have elves being hit by Santa’s sleigh, yachts hitting icebergs, zombies getting distracted by having their photo taken. Not easy for an event with 300+ entries every time and run over 25 days.
All of this has seen the regions engagement continued to rise, our Facebook numbers increase, and competition entries reach even higher levels.
Looking at the engagement online and Maggie checks these figures monthly, the recorded level of “South East sign on to HASSSRA Live” page visits went from 6373 in December 2022 to 12403 in December 2023. A real demonstration on how championing the use of HASSRA Live through some great ideas can reap rewards.
NEWCOMER AWARD 2023
A new award introduced Nationally last year to recognise the valued contribution of new blood into the HASSRA family and South East’s winner was adjudged to be the best across all Regions and we were lucky to have the national award winner in Charlotte Stockdale from Newport, IOW, so big shoes to fill.
Our winner only joined the local club team within the last year and readily nominated herself as treasurer when our last one had to resign for personal reasons. There were tremendous amount of problems trying to change our bank account from the Nationwide BS and our account had been frozen for about 6 months. they made several enquiries and finally managed to transfer the account to Metro Bank. This has effectively brought the local office HASSRA club back to life and the committee have now managed to arrange various activities in and out of the office for HASSRA members. The accounts for 2023 have already been audited and they were passed with flying colours!
The club are truly thankful for all of her efforts, which has put us on a good footing for the forthcoming year.
The winner this year is Jo Cornford from Eastbourne.
Jo receives an invite to the National AGM and Presentation Evening at Warwick University I May.
EXCEPTIONAL MERIT AWARD
This award was introduced a few years ago to recognise HASSRA volunteers in the South East Region who had made an outstanding contribution to their club or region over a considerable period and had not received recognition in recent times. That is certainly the case with today’s recipient.
She has been described as the key person in keeping her local club going over a very long period, providing support and guidance to fellow committee members and volunteers alike, many of whom have benefitted from her experience, knowledge and the example she sets. Many have said that if it was not for her the club would probably have folded a long time ago; her enthusiasm and drive have been such an influence in the success and longevity of the club, so it is indeed a shame to have to report that she has finally decided to hand over the reins. As a club secretary she has set the bar very high and will be a very hard act to follow but to mark her outstanding contribution to HASSRA and the Worthing club this Exceptional Merit Award goes to
Caroline Faller from Worthing Club
NGAIRE THOMAS VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2023
Rarely does the same person receive such an award twice in a relatively short period of time but in this case the recipient stands out and the award is thoroughly deserved.
His considerable contributions to HASSRA are at both regional and national levels and have been for many years. In 2023, he was singularly responsible for the recruitment and management of the Region’s Festival teams, as had been the case in recent years. He spent an inordinate amount of his own time advertising the events, recruiting the teams and encouraging new blood to participate, arranging and supplying kit and overseeing travel arrangements. At the events themselves, he took on the role of team manager, attending event briefings, meeting all team members, handling kit distribution, fully supporting the teams and looking after their individual needs especially those of newcomers. He made sure that everyone competed fully and to the best of their ability whilst demonstrating a sporting attitude and camaraderie towards other competitors. He was also responsible for organising and running the national five a side soccer festival events which ran very smoothly without any unsporting behaviour and which received universal appreciation from all who took part.
He has been a se board member for many years and during 2023 exhibited the same commitment, energy and drive as he has always shown in the past. His contributions to discussions, his new ideas and encouragement to others is a key part of his board involvement. He is the first to volunteer, will readily step in if we have a problem or lack of personnel and can always be relied upon to never let the team down. In 2023 he was, with his London counterpart, responsible for the arrangements and organisation of the very popular HASSRA day, an annual event which emphasises diversity by encouraging participation from all and sundry and involving not only a full programme of sporting events but also social events such as arts and crafts, cookery, baking and photography for those less sporting- minded; and as a bonus the laying on of a very popular silent disco. On the day itself he worked tirelessly, running the soccer competition and the very popular school sorts day events.
Towards the end of 2023 he promoted the idea of various “taster days”, to allow members to experience something different and to encourage new membership. Those events are now being rolled out and are being met enthusiastically in the region.
Over the years he has made himself an indispensable member of the South East team and in 2023 he again showed us why he attracts such positive feedback from the membership he serves so well. Without people of his caliber HASSRA would struggle; certainly in the South East we have come to rely on his involvement so much and it would be a very sad day if we ever lost his support
The very deserving se volunteer of the year is of course
Dave Philp
