Have-a-go BBC sports presenter Mike Bushell is to host a sports and wellbeing awards ceremony in East Lancashire.
Mike, who is well known for presenting bulletins on TV and radio will host the 2024 Active Burnley Awards – the annual celebration of health, sporting and wellbeing activities and achievements at all levels across the borough.
Last year's awards were hosted by former England goalkeeper, Rachel Brown-Finnis, who was born in Burnley.
A regular on the BBC News Channel, and BBC World News, Mike has also sampled nearly 400 different sports and activities during his Saturday morning slot on BBC Breakfast.
His wealth of experience of covering big sporting events includes reporting and presenting on the Olympics, Paralympics, Winter Olympics, football World Cups, Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games - where an interview with English swimmers went viral when he fell in a swimming pool during a live interview on BBC Breakfast.
He was a contestant on series 17 of Strictly Come Dancing and was paired with Katya Jones, in 2019.
Mike has always been a keen sportsman, having played football, cricket, and hockey at school. He’s represented Hertfordshire at chess, but he really excelled at cross country running, once covering 175 miles in six days to raise money for charity.
His other passion was acting. He spent four years at the National Youth Theatre, and it was while trying to make ends meet as an actor, he broke into journalism on a local newspaper and the rest is history.
Andrea Pollard, events and partnerships manager at Burnley Leisure and Culture (BLC), which organises the awards, said: “Over the last couple of years, the calibre of nominations and therefore the winners have gone from strength to strength.
“The achievements of last year’s nominees were outstanding, and I can’t wait to see who will be nominated this year. I know there’s plenty of amazing work being carried out in the borough that deserves to be recognised.”
This year’s awards, which will be held at the Burnley Mechanics Theatre on Thursday June 27, will see winners crowned in the following 11 categories:
- Health and Wellbeing Award
- Burnley Together Partnership Award
- Young Achiever of the Year
- Contribution to Active Communities (Individual)
- Contribution to Active Communities (Group)
- Coach of the Year
- Club of the Year
- Primary School of the Year
- Secondary School of the Year
- Volunteer of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award
All the Active Burnley winners go forward to the Active Lancashire Awards, to pit their achievements against those chosen from similar honours throughout the county.
Last year, ABA Lifetime Achievement Award winner Stuart Nicolson, who was recognised for his 60-plus years of involvement in local football, was given special recognition at the county-wide event.
Nominations are now open but will close on March 15 2024. For more details and to make a nomination, visit the Active Burnley Awards page.
Burnley Leisure and Cultures is also seeking individual award sponsors for the event as well as a sponsor for table centrepieces, all of which will see businesses and organisations become synonymous with the awards in printed and digital material.
Andrea added: “We never stint in showing our appreciation to our sponsors because they are helping to spread the word about the amazing work that goes on at grass roots level in our communities.”
If you’d like to become a sponsor, please contact Andrea Pollard for more details on 01282 664 444 (ext. 3252) or email apollard@blcgroup.co.uk.
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