Awards Celebrate the People Getting Wandsworth Moving
Fifteen individuals and clubs recognised at gala ceremony
The Wandsworth Moves Together Awards. Picture: Wandsworth Council
April 28, 2025
The winners of this year’s Wandsworth Moves Together Awards were revealed at a ceremony this Sunday night (27 April).
Held at the Wandsworth Civic Suite and hosted by Sky Sports presenter Emma Paton, the event honoured the individuals, schools, community groups and sports clubs going above and beyond.
Previously known as the Active Wandsworth Awards, from women’s volleyball and boxing clubs to school-led running initiatives and yoga sessions for elders, the winners represent the diversity and creativity of ways people are getting more exercise in the borough.
This year, 15 winners were selected across ten categories, including Sports Person of the Year Phoebe Anderson, who became the European Under 23 women's champion at the European Cross Country Championship in Turkey last year, and Coach or Instructor of the Year Mel Capleton, who runs accessible exercise classes tailored to all ages and backgrounds on Wandsworth Common.
For the Volunteer of the Year award, competition was so tough that six deserving nominees were honoured. The winners included Karrie Hill-Hughes, who launched the Battersea junior parkrun last May, and Hina Hanif, founder of the Wandsworth Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Volleyball Team.
Annabelle Hill, winner of Junior Sports Person of the Year, shared how her siblings are her inspiration and how the award has motivated her. She said, “It means a lot to get recognised for the progress that I’ve made and it gives me some confidence going forward that I should just keep going.”
A brand-new category, the Access for All Award, celebrated projects that break down barriers and make sport accessible to all. The inaugural award went to Carol Bennett, founder of SW Ladies Boxing, a female-only boxing club in Tooting which seeks to provide a safe, inclusive, and judgment-free space for women. Carol said, “Winning this award means so much because it’s not my award, it’s my ladies’ award. I can see their fitness improving and that’s just amazing so this award isn’t for me, it’s for them.”
Full list of winners
- Young Volunteer of the Year , awarded to Zoe Graham
- Volunteer of the Year ,awarded to Asma Choudhry, Guilliaume Fougerai, Hina Hanif, Karrie Hill-Hughes, Caroline Jenkins and Jess Winfield
- Active School of the Year , awarded to Sacred Heart Primary School in Battersea
- Mayor’s Award ,awarded to Disability Sports Coach
- Junior Sports Person of the Year , awarded to Annabelle Hill
- Access For All Award ,awarded to Carol Bennett
- Outstanding Contribution to Sports and Physical Activity , awarded to Alan Thurlow
- Sports Club or Organisation of the Year , awarded to Spencer Netball Club
- Coach or Instructor of the Year , awarded to Mel Capleton
- Sports Person of the Year , awarded to Phoebe Anderson
Guests at the event enjoyed live performances, stories from nominees, and local food. Paralympian Marcus Perrineanu-Daley was a special guest, presenting several awards to worthy winners.
Reflecting on the event, Judi Gasser, Cabinet Member for Environment, commented, “These awards shine a spotlight on those making a real difference in our community by getting Wandsworth moving. Movement offers significant physical and mental benefits, and it’s vital we continue creating opportunities for everyone to experience them. Every nominee tonight is an inspiration, and I am deeply grateful for their dedication.”
Wandsworth Moves Together is part of the council’s wider commitment to creating a more active and inclusive borough.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |