We're excited to announce the finalists for the 19^th Lincolnshire Sport & Physical Activity Awards!

The annual awards recognise the positive impact physical activity has on people’s lives in the county and celebrate those who actively contribute to the health and wellbeing of Lincolnshire residents. In 2023 we received the largest number of nominations in recent years; they spanned a real variety and diversity of projects, activities, and achievements, across the eleven award categories revealing inspirational work and moving personal stories from across Lincolnshire.

See the full list of finalists for the eleven awards.

This year there are eleven awards categories, including the return of popular categories such as: The Active Change Award, sponsored by Skegness Gateway; The Workplace Wellbeing Award sponsored by Wright Vigar and the Active Schools Award, sponsored by Lincolnshire Agricultural Society.

New categories this year, include the Active Event Award, sponsored by the University of Lincoln, which which recognises events of any size that encourage people to move more, and the Active Achievement Award, sponsored by Lincolnshire Community Foundation, which celebrates a specific outstanding achievement, from fundraising challenges to elite sporting success.

Categories introduced last year to reflect the priorities of the Let's Move Lincolnshire Strategy, include the Impact on Health Award, sponsored by Chestnut Homes, which celebrates a programme or approach to physical activity that has improved the health and wellbeing of participants, and the Inclusion & Diversity Award, sponsored by England Golf, which recognises anyone involved with sport or physical activity in Lincolnshire, who are making a significant impact on people from under-represented groups, reducing inequalities & increasing diversity within physical activity.

Finalists for each award have been selected by a panel of independent judges, made up of experts from various sectors who are involved in some way in the delivery or promotion sport and physical activity. The judges were extremely impressed by the fantastic work taking place across the county encouraging and offering opportunities for Lincolnshire residents to be active. The panel definitely had some tough decisions to make when selecting the three finalists for each award category; the number of tears shed by the judging panel during the selection process is a true testament to the strength of all the nominations.

Judges Zara McArdle, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Lincolnshire Police commented:

The submissions we reviewed as judges were truly exceptional and it was incredibly positive to read about the commitment and dedication of individuals to their sports. But we were also left in awe of the sheer amount of personal time, devotion and effort people in Lincolnshire take in volunteering to support the opportunities of others to keep active. There were also submissions from wonderful people in Lincolnshire who were actively making their sports, activities and clubs accessible for all, including for those who require additional supportive adjustments to enable them to take part. The extensive reach such amazing people have in Lincolnshire cannot be underestimated.

Emma Tatlow, CEO of Active Lincolnshire said:

The quality of the hundreds of nominations for this year’s awards has once again been outstanding, and is truly a testament to the amount of fantastic work that is going on across the county supporting people to be active. The awards provide an opportunity to celebrate some of the individuals, groups and organisations whose dedication and commitment enables others to enjoy the benefits of physical activity. This year's nominations have also revealed the many inspirational personal stories and remarkable achievements of people using sport and activity to transform their own lives.

Congratulations to all our finalists, but also thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate and to all our nominees who are actively contributing to the health and happiness of people across Lincolnshire.

See the full list of finalists for the eleven awards here.

Each finalist will receive two free tickets to the awards evening, taking place on Thursday 9 November at the Engine Shed Lincoln, where they will celebrate their achievements with hundreds of other Lincolnshire locals at this inspiring, feel-good event. Additional tickets to the event will be on sale soon.

We'd like to say thank you to our Headline Sponsor Lindum, and our award sponsors who make the Lincolnshire Sport & Physical Activity Awards possible and enable us to shine a light on some of the brilliant work taking place across the county and positive impact of sport and physical activity on people's lives.

Look out for more details about each of the finalists coming soon.