Our first newsletter of 2026
NABGC Staff and Volunteers acknowledged for their service in the Kings New Years Honours.
Congratulations to three people from across the Boys & Girls Clubs networks who were acknowledged for their service in the King’s New Years Honours.
Essex Boys & Girls Clubs CEO and NABGC Trustee and Treasurer received an MBE for almost 50-year’s service to young people and the youth sector.
Also, from Essex Boys & Girls Clubs, Ron Mills, a longstanding trustee with the organisation received an MBE.
And finally, Nigel Travis from Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club in Manchester received an MBE for over 20-years of helping young people.
I’m sure that you all join me in congratulating all these people in their thoroughly deserved awards in serving and helping young people whether directly or indirectly.
Essex and National Cross-Country & Boxing Challenge.
It’s not too late to register your entries for the Essex & National Cross-Country & Boxing Club Challenge taking place on Saturday 7th February.
To find out more and book your entries please click here.
BBC Children in Need Young Leader Programme – Train the Trainers Days.
As announced at our National Conference in Durham last year, 2026 will see NABGC starting delivery of its Children in Need funded Young Leaders Programme.
The first two of those events are now live on our website and available for you to book places.
Our friends at NE Youth will be delivering two Train the Trainer days that will allow participants to deliver their Introduction to Youth Work courses back in your own counties.
For more details and to find out how to book, please visit our website by clicking here.
More young leader training opportunities will be coming online soon including young leader residential activities and Young Arts Leadership training days. Please keep your eyes on your inbox for more details as soon as they are available.
HOLD THE DATE! NABGC National Conference & Awards Evening 2026.
We are now able to confirm the date and venue for our 2026 Conference and Awards Evening.
The date is Sunday 11th October 2026. The venue for the Conference will be Salford Lads Club moving to another venue for the Awards Evening yet to be confirmed.
The date is different to that previously advertised due to the date for The Manchester Half-Marathon subsequently announced for 4th October and would make travelling around Greater Manchester very difficult and would also affect availability and prices of accommodation – so we have now settled on the new date of 11th October 2026.
Please block this date out in your diary and do your best to get along to what will be another great event, with more details soon to be released.
NABGC Alumni.
Congratulations to TWO NABGC Alumni Hall of Famers.
Firstly, a double congratulations to Kate Waugh who was a member at Birtley Athletics Club (Tyne & Wear). At the end of 2025, Kate became World Champion in T100 Triathlon. As a result of winning that race in Qatar, she gathered enough points to also be ranked number 1 in the World for the T100 Triathlon.
What an amazing achievement!
Secondly, congratulations to Michael Carrick on his appointment as Manchester United manager, albeit on an interim basis at the moment.
Michael was a graduate of the illustrious Wallsend Boys Club and played in the Boys Clubs England Representative team.
Whilst it’s true to say that not everybody on this mailing list wishes Michael well in his role as manager of Manchester United (😆), I’m sure that everyone would say well done Michael on your appointment and all at NABGC are very proud of all you have achieved in your playing career and now your managerial career.
Wallsend Boys Club is a ‘who’s who’ of footballing greats. As well as Michael Carrick their other alumni includes Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley, Steve Bruce and more recently Eliot Anderson, current Nottingham Forest player and England international – see Eliot’s Sky Sports interview by clicking here.
Other events & activities.
Essex Adventure Weekend: Bookings are now open for the Essex Adventure Weekend taking place on the weekend of 3rd to 5th July. For more information about the event and how to book your places, please click here.
America Challenge 2026: It’s not too late to book places for the America Challenge being run by Essex Boys & Girls Clubs. Staff, volunteers and young leaders aged 18+ can experience the adventure of a lifetime hiking parts of the Appalachian Trail after which they will visit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tennessee. For more information about the experience and to find out how to book places, please click here.
Details of other events will be following soon.
If you have any news, information or events that you would like to share around the network, please let me know on this email address.