Would you, or do you know a junior who would, like to represent the borough in Herts Youth Games?

The annual Herts Youth Games, held at Herts Sports Village will see the 10 Hertfordshire districts come together to compete in a range of sports such as aquathlon, athletics, badminton, basketball, boccia, bowls, fencing, football, hockey, kwik cricket, netball and table tennis.* Up to 1000 juniors will participate and represent their district at the Games 8th July.

For more information, or to register an interest in being in a Welwyn Hatfield team, please go to the HSV information page. 

10 Days of Sport and Culture Festival 2012

This is your moment to show the entire borough what you do and how well your do it!!! The Festival is all about celebrating and promoting everything sporty and cultural within Welwyn Hatfield. The final day of the Festival will be one of the most historic days in the boroughs history, as the Olympic Torch Relay will be passing through both Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield. This is your moment to be involved in the celebrations, so what are you waiting for.....

North London Sponsored Cycle

Sunday, 20 May is the family friendly annual sponsored bike ride starting at Queenswood School, Brookmans Park. 20 or 40 mile circular route around the Hertfordshire countryside with refreshments and homemade cakes back at the school. All sponsorship goes straight to patient care at the Hospice.

So join the ride and raise some money...for more details click here

The Olympic Torch will come to Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield!

Fantastic news!  Matt Rayner, Jodie Williams and the Mayor officially announced today Monday 7th November that the Olympic Torch will definitely come to our Borough on 8th July 2012. The Torch will pass through both Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield.

Celebratory events that every one can be involved in are already planned by the Council under Matt Rayner's co-ordination, for 2012 and particularly around this date and the Torch will be the absolute icing on the cake!

See the BBC website on the announcement  and this link on the route.

More local information will unfold in due course!

Update 6Dec11: Local Government Minister Grant Shapps has urged communities to host sporting events in their own neighbourhoods - before, during and after the London 2012 Games.  Click here for more information on the Government's CLG website.

Welwyn Garden Swimming Club Win £100 - and Help Shape Sports Future

Welwyn Garden Swimming Club chairman Derek Milton received the £100 cheque for the November draw from among the 24 clubs that completed the questionnaire on how WHSPAA sport strategy should shape for the next couple of years.  The cheque was presented by WHSPAA chairman, Dave Bartlett, at Hatfield Swim Centre and with Derek are Tom Brennan, Head Teacher (in yellow T shirt) and Treasurer, Sandra Yearsley.

Matt Rayner, Welwyn Hatfield Youth and Sport Partnerships Manager, said "It's really important that we understand what we can do to help clubs and to progress sport in the Borough over the next couple of years - and the questionnaire will allow us to do just that.  So I would encourage all clubs to participate - and £75 draw deadline to enter is 31^st December!'

The winning draw was made by John O'Callaghan, Herts Sports Partnerships, Club, Coach & Sports Development Manager.  John said 'This is a great opportunity to help shape local sports strategy that will impact young and old - particularly in the Olympic/Paralympic year and for the Legacy.'

Click here to go to the questionnaire on SurveyMonkey and automatically enter the draw..

Welwyn Hatfield Sports Awards Celebrate Local Talent

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council with partners, once again staged a pretigious event on 9th February at Campus West to celebrate local individuals and groups who have given great performances.  Olympian, Mark Richardson, was the guest speaker, and there were some great cultuarl performances, too.

There was a long list of people who had been nominated for their outstanding achievements,

but the eventual winners, shown above, are:

  School Teacher of the Year: David Lodge

  Coach of the Year:  David Eames

  Sports Person of the Year:  Tom Lewis

  Contribution to Disability Sport:  Elaine Titmus

  Service to Sport:  Mike Banissy

  Club of the Year:  WGC Boxing Club

  School Team of the Year:  Stanborough School’s senior girls’ tennis team

  Team of the Year:  Hatfield Swimming Club’s boys’ relay team

  Young Leader of the Year:  Shelly Harris

  School Pupil of the Year:  David Griffin

  Outstanding Contribution to Community Sport: Dave Bartlett

Olympic and Paralympic Value awards winners:

  Courage,  Buster Martin: Determination, St Philip Howard School netball team: Equality, Stuart Bowman: Excellence, Alannah and Sophie Mabbs: Friendship, Becky Duff: Inspiration, Sarah Miller: Respect, Russell Kane.
 

See the Wewlyn Hatfield Times for a more comprehensive report.

Clubs at Forum, 2nd November, heard about the New Sports Scene and New Opportunities

Welwyn Hatfield clubs met at HSV to hear an update on the local sports scene including:

-  Our new School Games partnership, how it operates and the opportunities for clubs, from Michelle Bavington, WH School Games Organiser

-  Funding for Clubs in the Current Environment from John O'Callaghan, HSP

-  Opportunities for clubs from Active Universities 3-year Programme and Sportivate, from John O'Callaghan, HSP

-  WH Olympic/Paralympic Events in 2012, from Matt Rayner

Documents from the meeting will appear in the 'About us/WHSPAA Date and Documents' section.

Welwyn Hatfield Sports People Honoured at Prestigious Herts' Service to Sport Awards Ceremony!

Welwyn Hatfield clubs, coaches and sports people were honoured at the county's prestigious annual sports awards ceremony held at the University of Hertfordshire on Monday 12th September.

Examples include, see photo, right, Coach of the Year, Female, 1st - Catherine Walker, Herts Phoenix Athletics Club (3rd from L), and 3rd - Joy Porter, Hatfield Netball Club (2nd from L), receiving award from Welwyn Hatfield Councillor, Helen Bromley (2nd from R) with compere BBC commentator David Croft (1st on L).

For the complete details see the organisers' Herts Sports Partnerships webpage on the ceremony and awards.

Hertfordshire School Games Pilot at Herts Sports Village

Jeremy Hunt (Culture Secretary) and Sue Campbell (CEO Youth Sports Trust) visited the University of Hertfordshire for the pilot of Herts School Games (10 sports) on Friday 17th June.  At the festival, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt set out plans to drive a step change in school sport for disabled children, - see articles on websites: Wuzzup , Youth Sports Trust and DCMS website. 

The Badminton Pilot for the School Games had been held 28th March at Cavendish School, Hemel Hempstead - see article on News section Herts Badminton website.