DOES someone you know deserve a local sporting award?

Residents will again have the chance to nominate deserving individuals, teams or clubs in the prestigious annual Eastleigh Sports Awards.

The Eastleigh Sport and Physical Activity Alliance (SPAA) is once again to celebrate the success of many dedicated individuals, players, volunteers, coaches, teams, officials and clubs throughout the borough of Eastleigh during 2018.

Lou Gittens, chair of Eastleigh SPAA said “It’s a fantastic event to celebrate a wide range of sporting dedication in the borough of Eastleigh.

"I would encourage local people to nominate volunteers, teams, officials, clubs, coaches and individuals from across the borough."

The eighth annual event will be held at the Hilton at the Ageas on Monday, February 11 2019, and is supported by many local businesses and organisations sponsoring individual awards, giving the opportunity to recognise some of our local heroes.

New for this year is the ‘School of the Year’ category to celebrate what local schools in the borough are doing to encourage children to be active.

This year's categories include; Junior Sportsperson; Disability Sportsperson; Senior Sportsperson; Club of the Year; Coach of the Year; Official of the Year; Volunteer of the Year; Project of the Year; Service to Sport; School of the Year; Outstanding Personal Achievement; and Team of the Year.

Cabinet lead for health, Cllr Tonia Craig, said: “The Eastleigh Sports Awards are a great celebration of success highlighting the many talented and dedicated individuals, groups and teams that contribute to making so many sports possible in our borough.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to put forward an individual or group that makes a real difference for these prestigious awards.”

Last year's awards were held on February 8 and saw Lou Gittens, chair of the Eastleigh SPAA, and ex-Saint Francis Benali, the alliance’s official ambassador, officially open the event.

The was a talk from Serena Vincent, who was later crowned 'Junior Sportsperson of the Year' for the second consecutive year and a performance from gymnastic group Dynamo Gymnastics.

Nomination forms are available on the council’s website: www.eastleigh.gov.uk/sportsaward.

Nominations must be submitted by December 3.