County Awards

Our Annual Awards night takes place in February each year and is an opportunity for volunteers, players and coaches to be recognised for their achievements and successes during the previous year. The night has become a very special occasion in our calendar, coming together to celebrate the achievements of the best of our players, volunteers and officials. Our 2025 Awards Night was held at Hardwick Hall Hotel, Sedgefield on Saturday, 1st February and when we celebrated the successes of our players, clubs and venues across the full spectrum of ages and performance.

We are very grateful to Leader Floors and Leader Doors for their generous sponsorship that makes these awards possible.

Nominations for 2026 LTA and County Awards will be opened in September 2025 and links to the criteria for awards and nomination forms will be available here. Any member of any of our registered venues is welcome to make a nomination. 

2025
2024
2023
Category Winner
Lifetime achievement Anne Brown (Cleveland League & Yarm)
Volunteer Maggie Smith (Saltburn)
Volunteer Highly commended Yvonne Pensom (Shotley & Benfieldside)
Barbara Parking (Durham Moore)
Louise Flight (Yarm)
Young Person Jacob Spence (Yarm)
Young Person – Highly commended Jack Hill (Saltburn)
Sophia
Coach Louis Harll (David Lloyd Teesside)
Coach Performance David Esther (Shotley & Benefieldside)
Club Yarm
Club – Highly commended Saltburn
Tennis Opened Up Sunderland Tennis Centre
University Durham University
Official Graham Fowler
School Polam Hall
Park Usworth Park
Competition 12U Boys & Girls Tennis Europe Winter Cup Finals (Sunderland Tennis Centre)
Harry & David Thomas Meritorious Award – Services to Tennis Christine Heppell (Durham Archery)
Dennis Laycock (Lanchester)
Keith Philpott (Yarm)
Playsport U14 Girl Gabi Morgan
Playsport U14 Boy Will Morgan
Oliver Wrightson U18 Boy Max Westall

 

Category Winner
Lifetime achievement Patricia Smedley (Saltburn)
Volunteer Ian Pearson-Brown (Blaydon)
Volunteer Highly commended Lucy Brenkley (Barnard Castle)
Marion Bernard (Saltburn)
Rising Star John Wright (Boldon)
Rising Star Highly commended Jack Addison (Yarm)
Issy Smith (Boldon)
Coach Development Olly Bennett (Blaydon)
Coach Development Highly commended Phil Dolphin (Saltburn)
Coach Performance Jo Cunliffe (County)
Club Sunderland Tennis Centre
Tennis for All Sunderland Tennis Centre
University Durham University
Official Sarah Lowes
Harry & David Thomas Meritorious Award – Services to Tennis Judith Petite (Saltburn)
Alan Walker (Boldon)
Playsport U14 Girl Rachael Szeto
Playsport U14 Boy Ryan Szeto
Oliver Wrightson U18 Girl Francesca Simpson
Oliver Wrightson U18 Boy Ben Wrann
Category Winner
Lifetime achievement Pamela Dodds (Hutton Rudby)
Volunteer Jamie Blake (Cleveland League)
Volunteer Highly commended Chris Clark (New Silksworth)
Rising Star Lily Errington (Eldon Grove)
Rising Star Highly commended Callum Tranter (Yarm)
Coach Development Hannah Stockton (Tennis World)
Coach Performance David Esther (Shotley & Benfieldside)
Club Shotley & Benfieldside
Tennis for All Ian Pearson (Blaydon)
Competition Durham & Northumberland LTA Youth Festivals
Official Matt Jackman
Harry & David Thomas Meritorious Award – Services to Tennis Chris Shutt (Great Broughton)
Martin Williams (Yarm)
Sam Stokoe (Chilton & Sedgefield)
Playsport U14 Girl Laura Cheal
Playsport U14 Boy Will Morgan
Oliver Wrightson U18 Girl Francesca Simpson
Oliver Wrightson U18 Boy

Joel Gibson

National Awards

In addition to the County Awards, the top 5 winners nominated from all counties become National Finalists, and the next 5 earn Excellence Awards. We are proud to celebrate several nominations into the National Awards:

2025 National Finalists
Young Person Jacob Spence
School Polam Hall
University Durham University
2025 Excellence Awards
Performance Coach David Esther
Club Yarm Tennis Club

 

Regional Awards

Prior to 2025, all our County Winners were put forward into the LTA British Tennis Awards scheme and automatically progressed to the Regional LTA Awards and potentially then the National Awards. In 2023 we were delighted that three of our County winners also triumphed at the LTA North Regional Awards. Since the LTA brought in the National Awards in 2015, Durham & Cleveland has a proud record of success and past winners include:

2023 Regional Winner
Volunteer Jamie Blake (Cleveland League)
Competition Durham & Northumberland LTA Youth Festivals
Lifetime achievement Pamela Dodds (Hutton Rudby)
2022 National Runner-Up
Development Coach Vicky Evans
2022 Regional Winner
Club Yarm
Development coach Vicky Evans
Lifetime Achievement Dennis Laycock
2018 National Winner
Community Award A690 Charity
2018 Regional Winner
Lifetime Achievement John Taylor (Hutton Rudby)
Education Dame Dorothy Primary, Sunderland
2017 Regional Winner
Education Acklam Whin Primary School
2016 National Winner
Volunteer Wendy Glasper
2016 Regional Winner
Young Volunteer John Heppell

In 2017 Wendy was named the UK’s 759th  Point of Light, receiving a personal commendation from Prime Minister Theresa May:

“Your work with the North East Visually Impaired Tennis Club is helping to make tennis more accessible for the visually impaired across the region. You should be proud of the training sessions you have delivered and the direct impact you are having on the physical and emotional wellbeing of players.”

Check out the gallery of our past Award Nights and winners.