18/08/2026
🎊 East ONE awards - Special Recognition Award 🎊
Meet our first of three WINNERs in this category – Yvonne Adshead! 🥳
🗣️ What has been the most rewarding part of your journey?......
💬 As a region, we wanted to better support our grassroots umpires, so I created the East Region umpire mentoring scheme. We trained mentors, set up clear processes, and made sure umpires received timely, meaningful support. It was rewarding to see the scheme grow and to watch Counties work together. Years later, it’s still running, now with a coaching approach for umpires progressing from C to B and B to A. I still train new mentors and provide CPD, and it’s wonderful to see the scheme continuing to strengthen umpire development.
🗣️ What is/was your most favourite part about the role you do/did?
💬 Seeing the reaction of the umpires when they manage to develop a new technique, watching their confidence grow and their delight when they are successful in passing their Award and taking the next step along the pathway. I also enjoy seeing them get as much pleasure out of umpiring as I have.
🗣️ What does this nomination mean to you…………
💬 Receiving this nomination is truly humbling. It means a great deal to know that someone recognises what you’ve given, and continue to give, to the sport — especially when so many volunteers work tirelessly to make netball what it is.
🗣️ On winning the award………...
💬 It’s the people around you who shape who you become, and it’s the friendships you build over the years that keep you involved. I’ve been part of netball for nearly forty years, and many of you — on this call and across the country — have been friends for just as long. That’s what makes netball so special. It’s not just what happens on the court or around it; it’s the lifelong friendships that stay with you.
I also want to finish by saying a huge thank you to whoever took the time to nominate me. Those citations take real thought and care, and I know I speak for everyone nominated tonight when I say how much it means. Thank you to anyone who nominated any of us and especially to the person who was kind enough to nominate me. It’s truly appreciated. Thank you! 🥰
Huge congratulations to Yvonne on a very well‑deserved award! 🎉🥂 👏👏👏
🩵🩷