It wasn't until we actually sat down and thought about it that we realised that Michelle does such a lot for the club with little recognition, so it is an absolute pleasure to be able to announce that her nomination for this award has been successful.

Michelle will receive £1000 from Jack Petchey to spend on a project of her choice at the club. She will receive the award officially at our next presentaion evening, which will be at the end of the season, but in the meantime we thought it only fitting that we acknowledge all the reasons why Michelle has been chosen as the first volunteer at the club to receive the award.

Reasons for Nomination

Michelle uses all of her leisure time training and helping to run Telstars Netball Club, 3 evenings a week (over 7 hours a week). She is officially the Junior Head Coach, but is also responsible for supporting all coaching at the Senior level. As a result she helps to train over 100 girls/women from 9 – 30 years old.

Most Saturdays are spent from 8:30 am – 5:30 pm umpiring, coaching and supporting teams playing in the NWK netball league or coaching and playing in the Regional League anywhere in the south east of England.

Sundays could be training Kent Satellite Academy players, coaching Telstars U14 and U16 teams at the County League, travelling around the country taking girls to various netball tournaments and even using holidays to take girls on tour anywhere from Pontins to Barbados.

This summer she was part of the team who combined a netball and educational tour to St Lucia for girls in Years 11/12 (15 -17 year olds)

Telstars have been awarded the England Netball CAPS award at Silver level, which has taken a huge amount of work and organisation to achieve initially and since maintain. To this end it has involved Michelle in attending courses for Child Care and Protection, First Aid as well as maintaining and developing her own and mentoring other volunteers’ expertise in coaching and umpiring netball.

She is one of Telstars most valuable assets and to receive this award is a fitting way of recognising her contribution.