Champion of Hutt Sport Wins Trish McKelvey Leadership Award

Champion of Hutt Sport Wins the 2011 Trish McKelvey Leadership Award

Derek Wilshere, a lifelong champion of sport in the Hutt Valley and beyond, has been awarded the 2011 Trish McKelvey Leadership Award, presented by Sport Wellington at their Annual General Meeting this evening.

This award, named after Trish McKelvey a former long serving chairperson of Sport Wellington, recognises a person who has provided outstanding leadership in the sports sector over the preceding years as an administrator, coach, official, player or a combination of these. The recipient will have demonstrated leadership qualities which have 'made a difference'.

As a leader in the local community Wilshere chairs the Eastbourne Community Board, a key strategic arm of the Hutt City Council. It is for his significant role in organising the 2011 Hutt City Sports Awards, an event which made a comeback after a 22 year absence, for which he has received the Trish McKelvey Leadership Award.

The 2011 awards saw Hutt City's sporting elite recognised and celebrated by their own community, with Nick Willis taking out the supreme Hutt News Sportsperson of the Year Award for his achievements in Athletics.

Wilshere's own sport is Hockey; a code which has benefited from his lifelong passion and commitment as a player, coach and administrator at the local, national and international level.

This commitment has seen him receive four life memberships for service to Hockey from the Victoria University Hockey Club, the Wellington Hockey Association, the New Zealand Hockey Federation and the Oceania Hockey Federation.

Sport Wellington CEO Paul Cameron describes him as a person who gets on and does the work. "Derek sets goals and targets for those involved and then leads by example to help accomplish those goals. The reinvigoration of the Hutt City Sports Awards is a perfect example of his energetic leadership," says Cameron.

ENDS

© Scoop Media