Paul Hayden Award for Significant Contribution to LR Leisure.

Nominated by: Local Committees, National Organisers and Participants.

Selected by: LR Leisure Principal Officers

An award for an individual who in the last 12 months has:

• Made a significant contribution to the national success of LR Leisure
• Made a significant contribution to a national LR Leisure event
• Made a significant contribution to organising and promoting national LR Leisure events
• Made significant improvement to LR Leisure through innovation

Introduced in 2019

It has often been said that like a stick of rock, LR Leisure runs right through Paul Hayden.

Paul has made a long-standing contribution to HMLR's sports and social association - LR Leisure - both locally and nationally for over four decades. He remains one of LR Leisure's Principal Officers, playing a fundamental role.

He contributes with a passion that is greatly valued by our members, as he continues to seek out new and improved ways to engage with them. With this passion comes an innovative approach, respecting traditions but also looking out for new ways to support the health and wellbeing of our people and with a keen eye on reaching out and engaging as many as we can through different offerings, all with a focus on inclusion and fun. He is hands-on, spending his own time in ensuring that events are delivered to the highest of quality.

He has been and continues to be a driving force in all that we do and does it with a smile on his face which remains infectious even after all of these years! It felt right and fitting that when we introduced this award that we named it after Paul.

Shortlisted nominees:

Andy Kerslake (Plymouth)

• Andy introduced the first ever electronic scoreboard at the LR Leisure Golf competition (The Furneaux). This meant that scores were updated as play happened and there was a live scoreboard making it much more exciting as the competition unfolded. This took well over 50 hours, plus attendance on the day of the event.
• The LR Leisure Trophy scoreboard is quick and easy to update throughout the year thanks to Andy's extensive knowledge and work on all the intricacies of the scoring system and Excel.
• He has built a solid membership within the boardgames competition and evolved it to keep things interesting. He regularly asks for game suggestions so people can ensure they play the games they enjoy.
• Andy is an active member of the Virtual team providing much needed technical support in our events. For example, he creates and manages the scoring system for L'euRovision working to a really tight deadline whilst we await the results.
• Andy has supported National Organisers with National LR Leisure events providing advice and guidance, taking on tasks when needed and escalating issues to Principal Officers at the right time.

Donna Swarbrick (Fylde):

• Donna has had a cracking 12 months introducing and reintroducing things to LR Leisure.
• She has reintroduced netball which was a success and found a national organiser to take it forward.
• She has introduced a walking competition which included securing funds from CSSC to pay for walking champion training which takes place in September.
• She has found an organiser for pickleball and we have comms going out soon to introduce to all offices.
• She has also found an organiser for paddle and again we're due to go out with comms shortly to introduce to the organisation.
• Donna provided on hand support to the Festival Team during the event buying much needed supplies on the day and providing support to the organisers in the evening when dealing with issues.
• She has taken forward CSSC sports competitions that don't have a national organiser e.g. badminton and rounders, she advertises for participants and then tries to get a national organiser for future events.
• She is just on it all the time to try and improve things and include more people.

Tom Poulter (Croydon):

• Earlier this year Tom organised a very successful Pryer Trophy competition and also played a key part in the organisation of the first ever Kerr Cup (internal ladies 5aside tournament).
• Earlier this year Tom entered a strong squad of 18 players into the Lewis Cup (National CSSC 11aside tournament) and organised all their travel and accommodation.
• In the last 12 months Tom has proactively encouraged all employees at Trafalgar House Croydon to attend the wide ranging LR Leisure events available to all HMLR employees both virtually and in person.
• Tom has regularly motivated and led the Trafalgar House (Croydon) LR Leisure Committee to ensure we all positively engage with and encourage staff at the Croydon Office to attend the amazing LR Leisure events.
• This positivity from Tom around all things LR Leisure can further be evidenced as the Croydon Office won the LR Leisure Trophy 2023 and are also in the lead at the midway point of 2024.
• Tom has organised a lot of the events for those that work at the Croydon Office.
• Tom was also a key member of the committee proactively assisting in the running of other local LR Leisure events including the very successful Office Christmas Party.
• Tom also organises the monthly football training session for members of Trafalgar House (Croydon).

***WINNER 2024*** - Donna Swarbrick (Fylde)

Previous recipients of the Paul Hayden Award:

• 2023 - Annette Nuttall (Coventry)
• 2022 - Julia Watson (Weymouth)
• 2021 - Andy Kerslake (Plymouth)
• 2020 - Ryan Topping (Telford)
• 2019 - Hannah Bullimore (Telford)

Awards page.