FOUNDER OF GIRLS’ COMMUNITY FOOTBALL TEAMS WINS BARCLAYS COMMUNITY SPORTS AWARD

The Barclays Community Sports Award for November 2012 has been awarded to Katee Hui, for her passion and commitment towards the Hackney Laces community football team for girls. These monthly awards recognise the outstanding contributions to grassroots sport that are being made by individuals up and down the country. 

Katee, originally from Canada and a London resident for the past six years, recognised a need for a girls’ community football team in her local area of Hackney, London that would allow teenagers to come together and share their passion for the sport. A year later and Hackney Laces now has over 50 members and established U12, U14, U16 and a women’s sides.

As well as helping the girls on the pitch, Katee and her three other female volunteer coaches offer support and guidance to members of the club with homework, GCSE tutoring, college interviews and hold fundraiser days at the local Dalston supermarket to raise funds for pitch hire and insurance costs.

Katee comments: "I’m thrilled to accept the Barclays Community Sports Award and I’m sure the girls will be really pleased that our team has been recognised. I first set out wanting to create an environment where girls in the community could play football, but now it has become so much more than that and we’re like a big family. The prize money will be put to great use and will help Hackney Laces guarantee pitch space as well as help some of the team members complete coaching qualifications.”

Gareth Southgate, lead judge on the Barclays Community Sports Awards Panel, on presenting the award commented: “Katee is a great example of the work that many volunteers do across the UK in grassroot sports. It’s brilliant that Katee has been recognised for her work in women’s football by encouraging young girls to get involved in the sport, which is helping nurture a new generation of talent in women’s football. It’s important to recognise those doing so much for their communities, so I would urge people to nominate deserving candidates up and down the country for the Barclays Community Sports Awards.”