Nominations for the district's 11 sport and activity awards close on Sunday 11 October. The winners are named at Harborough Leisure Centre on 18 November.
Nominations are open for the Harborough District Physical Activity Awards 2026, and they close on Sunday 11 October.
The awards evening is on Wednesday 18 November at Harborough Leisure Centre. There are eleven categories, and they run well beyond competitive sport: a category for people over 65 who took up something new in the last year, one for a new mum who has got exercise back into her life, one for a coach or volunteer, and one for someone who overcame adversity through activity.
The awards are run by Active Together Harborough, which is hosted by Leicester-Shire and Rutland Sport and put together by Harborough District Council’s health and wellbeing team. The nomination form is online and asks you to pick a category.
The eleven categories, and who each one is for
| Category | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| Sports Person of the Year | Aged 18 or over, who has achieved success at regional, national or international level, exceeded expectations in performance, or made a significant difference to a team |
| Junior Sports Person of the Year | Aged under 18, who has made significant progress in their sport, exceeded expectations, or made a significant difference to a team |
| Senior Team of the Year | A team of two or more who have achieved success or competed at a consistently high level through the year, with fair play and a good sporting attitude |
| Junior Team of the Year | The same criteria, for a junior team |
| Club of the Year | A club that has excelled in one or more of: commitment to volunteers, capacity to meet a need, membership and participation levels, partnership working, or making a difference to the community |
| Community Award | An individual, group or club that has developed or led a sport or activity project, or inspired others in their community to become more active |
| Unsung Hero of the Year | A coach, instructor or volunteer who has shown enthusiasm, leadership and commitment |
| Physical Activity Star Award | Someone who has achieved a goal or overcome adversity through activity or sport in the last 12 months |
| Twilight Achiever of the Year | Aged 65 or over, who in the last year tried a new activity, benefited from it, and encourages others to get active |
| Disability Champion of the Year | A person with a learning or physical disability who has shown resilience and determination to take part or excel. The organisers say they want the challenges as well as the achievements |
| The Active Mums Club Award | A new mum who has got activity back into her life, or a person or organisation that has championed exercise for pregnant and postpartum women |
One practical point worth knowing before you fill the form in. The organisers state plainly that a nominee’s name will be used on social media when the results are announced. If that is a problem for the person you are nominating, they ask you to contact them first at activetogether@harborough.gov.uk.
What won last year
The 2025 awards were held on 19 November at Lutterworth Leisure Centre, so the event moves across the district this year. More than 120 guests went, the evening was compered by BBC Radio Leicester’s Owynn Palmer-Atkin, and it was opened by the district council’s chief executive and a performance by the Pro Game Allstar cheerleading squad from Lutterworth.
The winning teams and clubs give a fair idea of what actually takes an award here:
- Sherrier Primary School girls’ netball team, Junior Team of the Year, with Market Harborough Cricket Club’s under-17 girls taking special recognition
- East Midlands Kung Fu Club, Club of the Year, with Houghton and Thurnby Cricket Club taking special recognition
- Harborough Athletics Club masters track and field team, Senior Team of the Year
- the Rotary Club of Market Harborough, Community Award, for its swim-marathon
The individual awards went to school pupils, teachers, coaches and volunteers, and a lifetime achievement award went to someone who had given 30 years to local clubs in the district. The organisers list schools winning county and national honours, teachers reaching platinum standard in their PE departments, national cycling honours and fundraisers among the other achievements recognised on the night.
What it means for you
If you know a coach who turns up every Saturday morning, a club that has kept going against the odds, a teacher who has built up a school’s PE, or someone who has changed their own life through walking or swimming, the deadline is Sunday 11 October. The form is on the Active Together Harborough site, and the full criteria for each category are on its awards page.
Check with the person first if the publicity would bother them, because winners and nominees are named publicly.
More of what is happening across the district is on our things to do page.
Sources
- Harborough Physical Activity Awards, Active Together Harborough, checked 16 September 2026, for the 18 November date, the Harborough Leisure Centre venue and the criteria for all eleven categories.
- 2026 Awards Nomination Form, Active Together Harborough, for the 11 October closing date and the note about nominees’ names being used on social media.
- Physical Activity Awards 2025, Active Together Harborough, for last year’s date and venue, the attendance, the compere, and the winning clubs and teams.
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