A 17-year-old member of Stone SP Cricket Club has been named Young Volunteer of the Year at the prestigious England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) OSCAs.
George Hawbrook picked up his award from former England wicketkeeper Paul Nixon at the NatWest Outstanding Service to Cricket awards at Lord’s on Monday.
A member of the club’s committee – he assists the head groundsman – he has gained his UKCC Level One coaching qualification and also manages one of the club’s junior sides.
George said: “It was pretty nervewracking going up on stage at Lord’s but it was a proud moment for me. It will hopefully show people what they can achieve if they get involved with their local cricket clubs.
“We’ve got over 160 kids at Stone, including 60 under-nines, who obviously need a lot of people coaching them. I make sure they get looked after, that everything’s going smoothly and their parents are happy.”
A host of current and former England cricketers, including James Anderson, Matt Prior, Peter Willey, Claire Taylor and Michael Vaughan, turned out in force to recognise the efforts of grassroots volunteers at the awards ceremony.
The event, which was hosted by BBC Radio Test Match Special commentator Jonathan Agnew, brought together more than 350 people from across the recreational game to celebrate achievements in volunteering roles in eight different categories.
Paying tribute to the winners, former England star Mike Gatting said: “Volunteers play a vital role in ensuring that our grassroots game can continue to flourish and these awards are a fantastic way of recognising their contribution.
“It’s thanks to their tireless work and self sacrifice that pitches get prepared, pavilions maintained and cricket teas made. Congratulations to all the winners – you are the unsung heroes of our game and your awards are richly deserved.”
A Stone Cricket Club spokesman said: “With this achievement, George has flown the flag for himself, Stone SPCC and Staffordshire, having won the county trophy back in July. This win is also clear demonstration of Stone SP’s commitment to the development of the junior section over the last few years.”
Huge congratulations to George from A Little Bit of Stone!
