We are making 2021 the Year of the Volunteer and shining a light on the brilliant work volunteers do for all forms of cycling across the home nations and we want to make sure we acknowledge the huge contribution volunteers make to cycling on a more regular basis.
Each month, we are taking nominations from our across the regions and home nations. If you think someone deserves a mention, get in touch on social media with your respective regional or national teams or via @BCCoaches on Twitter.
A huge thank you and well done to all that have been nominated in March 2021 from everyone at British Cycling.
Name: Zosia Martin
Home nation: Scotland
Role and/or qualification: Club Secretary, Torvelo Racing CC
The first nominee from Scotland! Zosia did what many others would not have dared during an international pandemic, she started a brand new female section with a range of women from different cycling disciplines, backgrounds and ages, as part of Torvelo Racing Club. Described as the powerhouse and brains of the club, Zosia has built it up to have over 20 riders. With the added difficulty of not being able to meet in person, she has helped to bring the new members together as part of whatsapps, Zwift and social media until face to face meet ups and rides can being again in earnest.
Support more women into your club with our women & girls club toolkit
Name: Dave Haygarth
Region: North West
Role and/or qualification: Event Organiser
In a year which was disrupted by the Covid 19 pandemic Dave successfully ran the only Cyclocross National Trophy event in 2020. With the North West Cyclocross league cancelled for the 2020-21 season Dave decided to host cyclocross events at Broughton Hall and Skipton over the Winter for local riders, following the government and British Cycling guidance along the way. He has managed to keep the spirits and engagement high with his riders and fellow volunteers and has been able to adapt his events due to the demands of Covid. Fair to say that Dave is the driving force behind cyclo-cross in North West England!
North West Cyclo-cross Association
Name: Gemma Wilks
Region: South
Role and/or qualification: Event organiser & club leader & podcaster, Sotonia CC
Gemma has been engaging new women in cycling and racing by supporting them to be part of organised Zwift rides and racing. Gemma has also recently started 'Wheel Women Podcast' which inspires women to ride bikes. In her podcast, Gemma interviews amazing women from the local and national cycling scene..
Subscribe to the Wheel Women Podcast
Get started with British Cycling Clubs
Name: John Jones
Region: Central
Role and/or qualification: Treasurer Central Region & MTB event organiser. Long time member of Central Region Board.
John Jones has made a huge contribution to cycling in Central Region and previously to West Thames before regionalisation. Organiser and advocate for MTB sport as member of West Drayton Mountain Bike Club. A serving regional board member of the Central Region for over 10 years giving his wise council and skilled influencing, and his management of the regions finances as treasurer. The regions resources have been safe and well managed by his careful management, he is also recognised by BC finance for his professional and courteous communications with them. Still an active cyclist and a recent enthusiastic participant in Zwift racing. He also volunteers regularly within the region assisting at sign on and registration of events.
Name: Adrian Ravenscroft
Region: West Midlands
Role and/or qualification: Coach, Beacon Cycling Academy
While supporting his son’s racing, as well as racing himself, Adrian began volunteering and started coaching with the club, which he’s been doing for three years now. After finding his son needed to travel out of the city to develop, Adrian has been committed to providing cycling opportunities for youngsters within the city of Birmingham. In his own words, “I'd love it if young riders who live in Brum could have more coaching and racing opportunities locally, so that's what I'm trying to build."
Name: Lorraine Wright, Adam Biggs & Lucy Sudlow
Region: East Midlands
Role and/or qualification: Youth coaches, Ilkeston Cycling Club
It's a triple nomination from a single club in our East Midlands region this month, for three coaches who have innovated to provide opportunities for youth riders.
Lorraine delivered a mid-week session over an eight week period to improve roller skills, taking some kids from no experience to solid levels of competence over that short space of time. She also helps out on the club’s Saturday virtual sessions. Adam delivered regular sessions that improved specific techniques such as smooth pedalling and body position, whilst captivating his young audience with visualisations of what it’s like to race or ride out on the road and why the techniques they were learning are so important.
And Lucy brought fun and real engagement to Ilkeston's sessions, incorporating music and rhythm to her structure and used this as an aid to set the pace and cadence of the youngster riding. Sessions are always a good laugh and brilliantly well done.
Brilliant effort and commitment from all three and it has been very evident to see the improvement in the younger members ability in this time. There has also a very positive increase in regular attendance with double digit numbers at sessions and a healthy balance of both girls and boys.
Get started with British Cycling Clubs
Name: Glyn Durant
Region: South East
Role and/or qualification: Event organiser, Surrey Cycle Racing League
Hundreds of riders have benefitted from competing in the Surrey Racing League events Glyn organises. Glyn does not compete in the races, yet tirelessly works behind the scenes every year to make the numerous competitions happen and on race days is active and key to a successful event. The same attitude persists during the thankless task of organising and chairing the AGM’s. He is always responsive, polite and patient when replying to queries from clubs or racing members and ensures plenty of photos are taken during races and made available to members on the SRL website. He displays incredible passion for cycling, always working hard so that others can enjoy themselves, yet expects nothing back; he is a wonderful ambassador for our sport.
Glyn has also been involved with the regional board in the past, and also the LCCA, so has been a true stalwart of the regional sport landscape for more than 2 decades. Glyn now works closely with Phil Webber as REO to coordinate the calendar and will shortly be joining the Road Workgroup to represent Surrey League.
Name: Charlie Revell
Region: South West
Role and/or qualification:Road Race Work Group Chair & Commissaire, Team Tor 2000 Kalas
Charlie organised a hugely successful South West Zwift Series during lockdown, which encouraged over 200 different riders to take part. A quarter of those riders were new to Zwift, and the series provided an excellent way of keeping our community of clubs and cyclists in the region connected during a difficult year. With regular Wednesday evening weekly races, the league saw lots of friendly rivalries, including a number of in-house family rivalries with bragging rights!
Charlie has stepped up as chair of the Road Race Work Group this year, and is an active board member, and a positive advocate for all forms of cycling in the region. His hard work over the past year has kept hundreds of our members engaged in the sport, and with the evenings now drawing out and a resumption to activity on the horizon, we hope to see many of them competing in our regional events.
Name: Audrey Christie
Region: North East
Role and/or qualification: Breeze Champion
Audrey has certainly not let a year if disruptions dampen her spirit for engaging with and motivating the Breeze Champions in the North East. She has made sure leaders across the region have been kept up to date with all the latest guidelines and information whilst maintaining enthusiasm for the delivery of Breeze Rides.
She has continued to promote all the good work taking place across the region and has supported the Breeze Network to stay motivated and support each other. Audrey has coordinated a ‘Top Tips for Winter’ zoom session and also arranged a Let’s Love Let’s Ride call with our very own Karen Harvey (British Cycling Senior Programme Lead) to refresh knowledge on uploading routes and ensure our new, and experienced Champions are fully prepared for when delivery restarts at the end of March. Audrey has continued to Ride throughout winter and used this an opportunity for 1:1 mentoring with new Breeze Champions where possible.
Audrey now attends the North East Board meetings, representing Recreation, and through this has gained funding from the board to provide leaders with spares and tools to support their delivery.
She is working innovatively with NE Go-Ride Coach Melissa Teasdale to ensure there is progression for women across the region to take part in cycling at all levels.
In 2018, she appeared in Cycling Uk's Top 100 women cyclists https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/audrey-christie and amongst her many other achievements, also cycled 10,000 miles on a tandem from Durham to Capetown. We are really lucky to have Audrey working alongside us in the North East. Here's a quote from one of the people who nominated Audrie:
“Audrey has been great at keeping us informed during these “COVID’ times. Organising interesting zoom calls which included a bit of trivia and fun. As well as this I know if I am stuck or struggling with something I can email Audrey and she will go all out to help and find a solution. She has always willing to help with rides when she can if there are not sufficient leaders and hopefully she will be able to continue with this once we are back doing rides again” – Caroline
More about Breeze and Guided Rides
Volunteers: In Focus - January 2021
Volunteers: In Focus - February 2021
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