PICTURES | Founder of Longford Smashers Volleyball Club Grzegorz Wiechec presented with volunteer award

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Grzegorz Wiechec of Longford Smashers Volleyball Club, the County Longford award winner in The Federation of Irish Sport 2023 Volunteers in Sport Awards, proudly supported by the National Network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships, was presented with his award on Wednesday, March 22 at The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown. 

Grzegorz has been volunteering at the club for more than five years. He founded the club and it has become a hub for Volleyball in the midlands. READ MORE BELOW PHOTO

Caption: Award winner Grzegorz Wiechec from Longford Smashers Volleyball Club, Longford, centre, alongside Councillor Mick Cahill, left, and Longford Sports Partnership Sports Coordinator Sarah Mulligan during the Volunteers in Sport Awards at The Crowne Plaza in Blanchardstown, Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

The club has grown massively since its formation and has given many multinationals a chance to play volleyball.

Grzegorz has put his heart and soul into it ensuring that the club has the right facilities and equipment. In recent times, through his hard work the club has received funding to continue to develop.

Both the Men’s and Women’s teams are constantly improving and are moving up the ranks, both teams have recently qualified for the higher National Divisions.

The club has been hugely successful and without Grzegorz leadership and commitment none of this would have been possible.
 
The Volunteers in Sport Awards celebrate the contributions of the band of volunteers across the country who give their time to Irish sport and physical activity every year.

Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and Physical Education Thomas Byrne TD was the special guest speaker at the awards which were hosted by sports broadcaster Gráinne McElwain.

In addition to the 32 county award winners, the overall Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Aislinn Nugent of Valleymount LGFA from Co. Wicklow in special recognition of her promotion of inclusivity, community spirit, health and well-being through Sport in the community for over 20 years.

The Volunteers in Sport Awards celebrate the contributions of the band of volunteers across the country who give their time to Irish sport and physical activity every year.

This equates to approximately 37.3 million hours of volunteering across Ireland’s 13,000 registered sports clubs and associations and, according to Sport Ireland's 2021 'Researching the Value of Sport in Ireland' report, is worth an estimated €1.5bn to the exchequer.