Community Pride Awards 2011: Community Pride Person of the Year (From York Press)

Community Pride Awards 2011: Community Pride Person of the Year

12:30pm Tuesday 25th October 2011 in Community Pride news

Winner: Alan ‘Spen’ Allison

Runners Up: Ben Weaver, Kate Lock

The judging panel said the standard of this year’s entries was “tremendously high”, featuring a number of individuals who had made outstanding contributions to promoting pride throughout York, and said “any of the final three would have been a worthy choice”.

Through his work with Freecycle, Ben Weaver has ensured hundreds of thousands of unwanted items have found new homes rather than been turned into landfill, while Kate Lock’s tireless promotion of community projects, including the Brassed On festival and York Edible Schools, has encouraged hundreds of young people to work together.

But Alan ‘Spen’ Allison’s half-century of tireless work with York Amateur Rugby League which helped players from around the city to face opponents from as far afield as New Zealand and Australia led judges to award him the title.

John Church, who nominated him, said Spen was “a Rugby League man to the core”, and after dedicating more than 50 years of his life to the amateur league, Spen was given an honorary award from the York & District Sports Federation for his commitment to the sport.

Collecting his award, Spen said: “I’m gobsmacked and absolutely delighted. I just love the game and seeing children progress from six years old through to professional and amateur careers.

“I fell in love with the game when I was at school, and it’s the only sport for me.

My wife has also been tremendous- it takes a special sort of person to stand alongside a sport fanatic, and all my family have been fantastic.”

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