Youth Sport Trust Awards 2026
Tuesday 03 March
Telford International Centre
18:15-18:45: Drinks Reception - The Gallery (Level 1)
18:45-23:00: Awards Dinner - Ludlow Suite (Ground Floor)
Sponsored By
The Youth Sport Trust Awards celebrates schools, settings, trusts and individuals who, working alongside the Youth Sport Trust over the past year, had made a real and impactful change to the lives of young people.
The Awards are presented at the Youth Sport Trust Awards Dinner on the eve of the annual conference.
The Award categories and shortlisted nominees are listed below. Finalists for each category are listed in bold.
Excellence in Enrichment Award
Sponsored by Commando Joe's Enrichment
Recognises schools or settings that provide inspiring and intentional enrichment through school sport and physical activity. Through this offer, they ensure they build character, develop life and work skills, value young people's voices, and raise aspirations for every young person.
Shortlist
- Wings School Notts, Nottinghamshire
- Wright Robinson College, Manchester
- Gifford Primary School, Ealing
- Redhill Academy Trust, Nottinghamshire
- Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester
- Arts and Media School Islington, Islington
- Aylesford School, Kent
- David Ross Academy Trust, Leicestershire & Lincolnshire
- Clare Mount Specialist Sports College, Merseyside
- Hayle Academy, Cornwall
Building Belonging Award
Sponsored by Outdoor Play and Learning
Awarded for excelling at creating a truly inclusive environment. It celebrates work that has successfully used PE, sport and play to engage and support young people, many of whom face varying complex challenges, in their education outside of a mainstream setting. We are particularly keen to see examples where improved belonging has positively affected young people’s happiness, health, attendance, or engagement in learning.
Shortlist
- Orchard Manor School, Devon
- Môn Actif, Anglesey
- Manchester Hospital School, Manchester
- Limehurst Academy, Leicestershire
- Hill View Primary School, Oxfordshire
- Burnley High School, Burnley
- Norfolk PE, Norfolk
- St Michael and All Angels RC Primary School, Wirral
- Olive Academies, Essex
Empowering Young Leaders Award
Sponsored by Sports Directory
Awarded for empowering young people to take on leadership roles. It recognises projects that have provided opportunities for students, at any age or stage, but especially those from underrepresented groups, to develop confidence, responsibility and essential life skills by co-designing, leading, organising or delivering sports and physical activities for their peers, their school or in their community.
Shortlist
- Fit for Girls Young Volunteer Tutor team, Scotland
- Little Common School, East Sussex
- Haberdashers' Crayford Academy, Dartford
- Abbey School, Rotherham
- Manchester Communication Academy, Manchester
- Kingsbury High School, Brent
- Buckinghamshire Virtual School, Buckinghamshire
- The Grange School, Dorset
Outstanding Approach to Wellbeing Award
Sponsored by Sports Direct
Children and young people are more effective learners when they are happy, healthy, and thriving. Staff are better educators when they are genuinely supported. This award recognises a school or setting committed to prioritising wellbeing alongside academic achievement and demonstrate a holistic, impactful approach to student and staff wellbeing by embedding the four Well School pillars.
Shortlist
- Lime Tree Primary, Academy, Trafford
- Haberdashers Crayford Primary, Bexley
- Dame Dorothy Primary School, Sunderland
- Broadbent Fold Primary, Tameside
- Windsor Academy Trust, Halesowen
- Burnley High School, Burnley
- Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Academy, Wolverhampton
- St Luke's Church of England School, Exeter
- The GORSE Academies Trust, Leeds
Transformational Achievement Award
Sponsored by Complete PE
Physical education, school sport and physical activity can drive significant positive change across key whole-school outcomes. This award recognises a school or setting that has seen measurable improvements in student attendance, behaviour and academic outcomes through its approach to PE, school sport and physical activity.
Shortlist
- Rushbrook Primary Academy, Manchester
- Marine Academy, Plymouth
- Kings Oak Academy, Bristol
- Torriano Primary School, Camden
- Cubitt Town Primary School, Tower Hamlets
- Endeavour Learning Trust, Lancashire
Inspiring Play Award
Sponsored by Outdoor Play and Learning
Every child should have access to time, space, opportunity and freedom to play. This award recognises approaches that have championed the power of play. It celebrates those who have created imaginative and engaging opportunities for unstructured and student-led play, highlighting the importance of free play in developing creativity, social skills and a lifelong love of being active.
Shortlist
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Wednesbury Oak Academy, Sandwell
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The Grange Community Primary School, Oxfordshire
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Plymouth Marjon University & Wave Multi Academy Trust, Devon
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Oldswinford Church of England Primary School, Stourbridge
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Môn Actif, Anglesey
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Hernhill Church of England Primary School, Kent
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Harrow Lodge Primary School, Essex
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Crocketts Community Primary School, Sandwell
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Churchtown Primary School, Southport
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St. Ebbe's CE (Aided) Primary School, Oxfordshire
Campbell Award - Network Leader / Local Influencer Award
Sponsored by Sports Directory
Awarded to a network leader who has influenced change in their area that has positively impacted on schools and young people through PE, sport and play.
Shortlist
- Tanya Angus, School Sport Network Lead and School Games Organiser, Hertfordshire
- Kev Byrne, Deputy Headteacher, Clare Mount Specialist Sports College, Wirral
- David O'Farrell, Headteacher, St Bernadette’s Primary School, Harrow
- Justin Jose, Head of PE and Sport, Cubitt Town Primary School, Tower Hamlets
- Jacqueline Valin, Principal, Southfields Academy, Wandsworth
- Garret Fay, CEO, Insignis Academy Trust, Buckinghamshire
- Dean Woodham, Partnership Manager, North Oxfordshire School Sport Partnership, Oxfordshire
- Dan Moody, School Games Organiser & Partnership Manager, Christchurch and The Isle of Purbeck
- Claire Tennyson, Partnership Manager & Executive Director, Redcar & Eston School Sport Partnership, Middlesbrough
- Louisa Craig, Principal, Our Lady & St. Chad Catholic Academy, Wolverhampton
- Anne-Marie Riddle and Mary Szulikowski, Lead Inclusion School Leads, Hertfordshire
Judging Entries
Each category has an expert judging panel who will carefully review entries to recommend finalists in each category.
The judging panels will use the following criteria when assessing entries. How the organisation/person:
- Through working alongside the Youth Sport Trust has made a real and impactful change to the lives of young people. The nomination form will allow the applicant to indicate the Youth Sport Trust programme, network or intervention that the nominee has participated in
- Used PE, sport or play to build healthier, happier and more resilient young people
- Increased young people’s participation in PE, sport or play
- Increased young people’s enjoyment of PE, sport or play
- Nominations which include measurable and evidenced improvements in academic and/or pupil outcomes as a result of engagement in and/or intervention through PE, sport and play, will be at an advantage.
Host - Radzi Chinyanganya
Radzi is a TV personality, presenter and podcaster who has supported the Youth Sport Trust since 2017.
Radzi is the author of the children's book 'Move Like A Lion', and is particularly passionate about embedding a love of movement into young children from an early age.
Radzi said:
“I went to seven different schools growing up. For me sport was the language that enabled me to connect with the people I met, make new friends and be part of something. It’s been one of the very few consistent things in my life.
“Sport provides health benefits, it provides transferable skills and it provides sheer joy. Sport can change everybody’s life, and everyone should be given the opportunity to take part. That’s why I support the Youth Sport Trust because they are on a mission to provide that opportunity for the young people who need sport the most.”
Special Guests
As part of the awards evening Radzi will host a fireside chat segment with Red Roses legends Sarah Hunter and Abbie Ward, and Managing Director of the recent Women’s Rugby World Cup, Sarah Massey, to reflect on their experience of the tournament, what it means for girls in the game, and the critical importance of school sport.
Sarah Hunter
Sarah Massey
Abbie Ward
Sarah Hunter CBE
Sarah is England's most capped player of all time – in men and women’s rugby. She reached this huge milestone on rugby’s greatest stage – at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2022. Following her retirement, she transitioned into a coaching role, serving as the Red Roses' defence coach for the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup.
And at that World Cup, the England captain went on to lead her team to the final where the Red Roses came up agonisingly short against the hosts in one of rugby’s greatest games. England's efforts did not go unnoticed though with a record breaking crowd of 40,000 people at Eden Park, and 1.7million people in the UK watching on television.
Sarah is a stalwart of English Rugby, underlined once again when she made her fourth World Cup final appearance. 2014 was the crowning moment though, when England defeated Canada in the final to become World Champions.
With that win, came the honours and England became the first ever female team to win the coveted BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year award. Sarah was also recognised for her Services to Rugby with a MBE that year, and then a CBE in 2023 and she continues to be a leading inspirational role model for the women’s and girls’ game.
Sarah Massey MBE
An accomplished leader in the world of sport, Sarah has over three decades of experience in sports leadership, global event strategy and planning.
She is currently the Director of Sport at the British Olympic Association, taking responsibility for Team GB’s Sport and Athlete Services teams. Prior to this she was the Managing Director of the recent Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025, a landmark event for women’s sport. Her career includes CEO of the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, various roles across Olympic and Commonwealth Games, and she has worked with multiple international and national sports governing bodies across a range of sports globally.
Sarah is also a board member for Sport England and sits on the advisory panel of the Women’s Sport Collective.
Abbie Ward
Born in Dumfries, Scotland, Abbie began playing rugby at 10 and went on to become Sedbergh School’s first female student to represent England at senior level. After graduating from Northumbria University in 2014, she had a spell with Strathcona Druids in Canada before joining DMP Sharks. A successful four years at Harlequins followed, including lifting the Premiership Women’s Rugby title in 2021. She later joined Bristol Bears Women, where she has been a key second row and co-captained the side until 2024.
Ward made her England debut in 2015, scoring against Italy, and has since earned 81 caps. A central figure in the Red Roses’ dominance, she has won five Women’s Six Nations titles, featured prominently in the 2017 and 2021 Rugby World Cups, and played a vital role in the 2025 home World Cup triumph, earning selection in the Team of the Year.
Renowned for her athleticism and lineout presence, Ward returned to elite rugby just 17 weeks after giving birth in 2023, scoring on her comeback for Bristol and rejoining the England squad less than a year later.
Performers
Orchard Manor
Orchard Manor’s Opening Performance was inspired by the poem “Misunderstood Child” By Kathy Winters.
It is a poem about being different and not fitting in. A copy of the full poem can be found here.
The voices you hear are pupils of Orchard Manor – a special school in Dawlish, Devon. Thank you Orchard Manor for performing and joining us this evening.
Qube Records from Mounts Bay Academy
Qube Records is the in-house record label and music hub of Mounts Bay Academy, a secondary school in Penzance, Cornwall, enabling students to write, record, release and promote their own original music. Penzance is a town with a rich heritage of music, performance and the arts and is steeped in originality. In 2014, musician, producer and youth worker Darren Roberts recognised this generative creativity in it’s students and founded Qube Records as an outlet for original music and song and to give young songwriters, performers and artists a real world authentic audience for their work, regardless of background, experience, or any factor other than the willingness to have a go.
Thank you to Qube Records for providing the fantastic student band to close our evening, we are delighted to have them join us this evening.
