FAW Grassroots Award Winners Celebrated last Night

COMMUNITY HEROES RECOGNISED WITH THE 2020 FAW & MCDONALD’S GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL AWARDS

The national winners of the 2020 FAW & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards have been revealed, with six recipients from across Wales being honoured for their services to the grassroots game. The awards celebrate the efforts of volunteers across Wales who go the extra mile to support their local communities. This year’s winners join a long list of inspirational grassroots football heroes who have been recognised by the awards programme.

Now in its eleventh year, the awards saw a record amount of entries in 2020. The six winners are:

• Community Club of the Year – Caerau Ely Juniors
• Best Grassroots Story of the Year (The People’s Award) – Garmon Edwards-Jones
• Fun Football Provider of the Year – Undy AFC
• Grassroots Volunteer of the Year – Emma Ibal
• Community Coach of the Year – Owen Palmer
• Football Restaurant of the Year – Jason Demanuel (McDonald’s Llantrisant)

The winners received their prestigious national awards during a virtual awards ceremony held in Cardiff last night. The ceremony was hosted by sports presenter Michelle Owen and featured Wales internationals Robert Earnshaw and Megan Wynne, who were on hand to congratulate the winners.

Jayne Ludlow, Wale’s Women’s National Team Manager, said: “It’s been a really difficult year for the whole country, but I’m so pleased we’re able to recognise and celebrate the volunteers who go above and beyond to have a positive impact on their local communities. After all, the tireless work of volunteers is what keeps the game going. The 2020 winners should be extremely proud of their achievements and grassroots football in Wales is in a much better place with them being a part of it.”

Having worked with the FAW and the other three UK FAs for the past 18 years, McDonald’s is the longest-standing supporter of grassroots football in the UK. Throughout this time, it has championed the work of volunteers who invest countless hours of time to deliver safe, enjoyable football to children and young adults regardless of age, gender or disability.

Last year McDonald’s also celebrated a milestone moment in the McDonald’s Fun Football Programme as it reached 2 million hours of Fun Football provided to children across the UK. McDonald’s is committed to its target of giving over 500,000 children the opportunity to play football for the first time and providing over 5 million hours of football to 5-11-year-olds by 2022.

For further information on McDonald’s involvement in grassroots football and to find out how your club could benefit, follow @FunFootballUK on Twitter and Instagram.

To find out more about all of the 2020 FAW and McDonald’s Grassroots Football Award winners, visit http://www.fawtrust.cymru/grassroots/fun-football/