Active Lancashire Awards 2024 honours Burnley's Mark Smedley of MS Angling and Education and Allan Clarkin of Black Knights' gym

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Two people from Burnley, who have gone above and beyond to help others, were honoured in the 2024 Active Lancashire Awards.

Burnley Health and Wellbeing champion Mark Smedley, of MS Angling and Education, triumphed in the county- wide health and wellbeing category, while Burnley Lifetime Achievement Award winner Allan Clarkin was highly commended in his.

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Each year the Active Burnley winners go forward to the Active Lancashire Awards, where their achievements come up against those chosen from similar community activity awards throughout the county. The health and wellbeing award shines a light on those supporting others with their physiological health, mental wellbeing, health management or any outcomes supported by physical activity and sport.

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Burnley Health and Wellbeing champion Mark Smedley, of MS Angling and Education, triumphed in the county- wide health and wellbeing category of the Active Lancashire AwardsBurnley Health and Wellbeing champion Mark Smedley, of MS Angling and Education, triumphed in the county- wide health and wellbeing category of the Active Lancashire Awards
Burnley Health and Wellbeing champion Mark Smedley, of MS Angling and Education, triumphed in the county- wide health and wellbeing category of the Active Lancashire Awards

Mark, a former teacher for 17 years, is the founder and managing director of MS Angling and Education. He is supported by a group of volunteer helpers and licenced angling coaches, and works as a lead licenced angling coach and teacher with a number of agencies and organisations in the borough to help improve the health and wellbeing of young people and adults; providing valuable opportunities for local people and beyond to enjoy the great outdoors, engage in a new activity and make new friends.

He works with local primary and secondary schools as well as those in alternative educational settings, often supporting pupils who struggle with classroom-based work, and receives referrals from social prescribers and the NHS for adults suffering with isolation, stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

Mark said: “When they announced it was us, it was unbelievable. There are several more projects I would still like to put to the test which in turn I feel will help benefit others in different ways.

Now Mark is working on his latest project which he has called ‘Fishing for Success’, which aims to help targeted primary school pupils who find day-to-day classroom learning and learning activities more difficult than others, due to their additional learning needs. The ‘Fishing for Success’ initiative will support pupils classroom learning through fishing related activities. Mark added: ““These sessions will be delivered both in our educational lakeside cabin and on the bank.”

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“We do a lot of work with children who find school difficult for a number of reasons, but I feel with my many years teaching experience and the connections we’ve got with local schools and their senior leaders, together we can do something that’s really going to benefit the children who are chosen and make a real positive difference. There’s always something more you can do. It’s just great to be helping others and seeing the positive benefits, that’s what it’s all about, that’s what give us all a buzz.”

The Jimmy Armfield Lifetime Achievement Award goes to the individual who has shown a consistent commitment of 20 years or more to community sport and active lifestyles within Lancashire. Allan, the founder of Burnley’s Black Knights gym, is one of Britain’s longest-serving martial arts coaches, who has been tutoring young fighters for over half a century. He is known for recognising the importance of combat sports for young men on the precipice of a life of crime or experiencing mental health issues and provides a safe environment for them to take out their aggression and open up about their problems, which earned him the British Empire Medal in the King’s first New Year’s Honours List.

Organised by Active Lancashire and local authorities from across the county, the awards, held at Crow Wood Hotel in Burnley, celebrate sporting achievements, community initiatives and wellness in the workplace.

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