Forum Evenings
Oswestry Sports Forum hosts Forum Evenings on topics which are of interest across several sports.
Oswestry Sports Forum hosts Forum Evenings on topics which are of interest across several sports.
Growing Sports Clubs
through increased volunteering and funding
through increased volunteering and funding
This was an evening for local sports clubs and organisations to discuss volunteer recruitment and retention and also fundraising opportunities, locally and nationally.
Our guest speakers were:
Amy Griffiths, Empowering Communities Manager, Energize, Shropshire
Corrie Davies, Project Development Officer, Oswestry Town Council
Carole Moreton, Funding and Grants Team Lead, Community Resource.
It was held at Oswestry Rugby Club on Monday, 11 November 2024. With over 40 attendees, several local clubs were represented. As well as hearing tips from the guest speakers, club representatives valued sharing their experiences of volunteer recruitment and retention and also fundraising.
Amy Griffiths, Empowering Communities Manager, Energize, Shropshire
Corrie Davies, Project Development Officer, Oswestry Town Council
Carole Moreton, Funding and Grants Team Lead, Community Resource.
It was held at Oswestry Rugby Club on Monday, 11 November 2024. With over 40 attendees, several local clubs were represented. As well as hearing tips from the guest speakers, club representatives valued sharing their experiences of volunteer recruitment and retention and also fundraising.
Dan Jones, and Sam Martin inducted into Oswestry Sporting Hall of Fame.
Inspiring Local Sports Stars
Two Oswestry sports stars were inducted into Oswestry’s Sporting Hall of Fame on the 26th April 2024. Swimmer Dan Jones and Heavy Events lifting strongman Sam Martin both attended a ceremony at the Eastern Oswestry Community Centre. They join an elite group of Oswestry Sporting heroes whose achievements are on permanent display at Oswestry Leisure Centre.
Commonwealth swimmer Dan and world record holder and European champion Sam, were interviewed on stage by Stuart Manford, himself a Commonwealth swimmer. An enthusiastic audience of family, friends and supporters were treated to fascinating stories about the life of top-class sports stars and a chance to see again their performances at the Commonwealth Games and the World Atlas Stones Championships.
Grounds Keepers Forum - November 2023
This Saturday morning meeting at Oswestry Rugby Club brought together grounds maintenance volunteers from local rugby, football and cricket clubs. The guest speaker from the RFU gave advice about drainage techniques and costs. There was also talk about rewilding club grounds to improve biodiversity. Oswestry Rugby Club described their recent planting of fruit trees and flowers around their perimeter.
Funding Forum Evening on 3rd November 2022
Grounds Keepers Forum - November 2023
This Saturday morning meeting at Oswestry Rugby Club brought together grounds maintenance volunteers from local rugby, football and cricket clubs. The guest speaker from the RFU gave advice about drainage techniques and costs. There was also talk about rewilding club grounds to improve biodiversity. Oswestry Rugby Club described their recent planting of fruit trees and flowers around their perimeter.
Funding Forum Evening on 3rd November 2022
About 20 sports club Treasurers and Fund-raising Officers from a wide range of clubs attended a Funding Forum Evening at Oswestry Rugby Club. Three guest speakers explained how to apply for grants from national and local funds:
1. Nick Herbert, from Energize STW promoted Sport England’s “People and Places” and “Active Together” funds and explained the principals of crowd-funding, which Sport England funding can match.
2. Graham Moss of Oswestry Rotary Club talked about the Mary Hignett Bequest - a local fund for sports and art groups.
3. Carole Moreton, from Community Resource, talked about the Shropshire Community Fund, including the Shropshire Grassroots Fund. She also referred to searchable websites listing funding organisations.
Oswestry Sports Forum is grateful to the guest speakers at this meeting and to Oswestry Rugby Club for hosting the evening.
1. Nick Herbert, from Energize STW promoted Sport England’s “People and Places” and “Active Together” funds and explained the principals of crowd-funding, which Sport England funding can match.
2. Graham Moss of Oswestry Rotary Club talked about the Mary Hignett Bequest - a local fund for sports and art groups.
3. Carole Moreton, from Community Resource, talked about the Shropshire Community Fund, including the Shropshire Grassroots Fund. She also referred to searchable websites listing funding organisations.
Oswestry Sports Forum is grateful to the guest speakers at this meeting and to Oswestry Rugby Club for hosting the evening.
Oswestry Sporting Legends on 1 July 2022
At our Forum Evening on Friday, 1st July at the Aico theatre, Oswestry, we spent an evening with local sporting legends.
We welcomed our two newest members of the Oswestry Sporting Hall of Fame:
Matt Walker won the Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup in 2020, aged just 21. He told OSF Chairman, Stu Manford, about his life as a professional mountain-biker, showed a video of his recent win in the Austrian world cup series race and described his race preparations and how it felt to tackle the course. Matt also showed us his racing bike and donated a race jersey for the Raffle.
Graham Williams was inducted into the Hall of Fame in absentia, having had to cancel in order to attend a funeral. Graham joined West Bromwich Albion in 1955. After 17 years there, including 26 Welsh caps, Graham captained WBA to win the 1968 FA Cup and then enjoyed an international career as a club manager.
The guest speaker for the evening was Atlantic rower, Ian Davies, who shared photos and anecdotes from his recent adventure with the Atlantic Mavericks. He described why he took on the challenge of rowing the Atlantic, after experiencing cancer therapy, how they raised sufficient money to buy and renovate a suitable boat and complete the necessary training. His photos of storms and giant waves were awesome but he said that being becalmed was the worst part of the crossing. He urged every member of the audience to not just dream but do it, whatever “it” is for them.
We welcomed our two newest members of the Oswestry Sporting Hall of Fame:
Matt Walker won the Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup in 2020, aged just 21. He told OSF Chairman, Stu Manford, about his life as a professional mountain-biker, showed a video of his recent win in the Austrian world cup series race and described his race preparations and how it felt to tackle the course. Matt also showed us his racing bike and donated a race jersey for the Raffle.
Graham Williams was inducted into the Hall of Fame in absentia, having had to cancel in order to attend a funeral. Graham joined West Bromwich Albion in 1955. After 17 years there, including 26 Welsh caps, Graham captained WBA to win the 1968 FA Cup and then enjoyed an international career as a club manager.
The guest speaker for the evening was Atlantic rower, Ian Davies, who shared photos and anecdotes from his recent adventure with the Atlantic Mavericks. He described why he took on the challenge of rowing the Atlantic, after experiencing cancer therapy, how they raised sufficient money to buy and renovate a suitable boat and complete the necessary training. His photos of storms and giant waves were awesome but he said that being becalmed was the worst part of the crossing. He urged every member of the audience to not just dream but do it, whatever “it” is for them.
The Atlantic Mavericks in Action