"I'm so proud of my team, because it's down to their unswerving commitment that EdStart shines in our sector."
Chris Irwin
Children’s sports education provider EdStart scooped an impressive double award win at the prestigious National What’s On 4 Kids Awards with Strider Bike. The London awards ceremony saw the great and the good of children’s activities organisations come together to celebrate the best in the sector.
Managing Director Chris Irwin took home the coveted Industry Champion of the Year Award and the business also netted the Best Independent Activity for Children Aged 5 -12 award.
Salford-based EdStart delivers a wide range of afterschool, weekend and holiday sports clubs, as well as supporting schools with full coverage of the primary P.E. curriculum with its innovative new health and fitness software, specifically designed to suit young people.
The Industry Champion award celebrates Chris’ commitment to raising the bar in children’s sporting activities. Chris is a driving force in improving standards across the sector and is set to champion his cause at an upcoming all-party parliamentary group around Fit and Healthy Childhood.
Commenting on the award wins, Chris said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. The Industry Champion award holds particular, personal meaning as it recognises my passion for excellence in children’s sports and activities. I’m so proud of my team too, because it’s down to their unswerving commitment that EdStart shines in our sector.
"This year we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary, so this amazing achievement is the perfect way to celebrate. We’ll never stop championing children in sport and striving to instil a love of being active, as this is the foundation of healthy habits for life.”
The Industry Champion of the Year Award is sponsored by the Children’s Activities Association (CAA), a not-for-profit, national organisation that aims to give parents peace of mind and the power to make informed choices when selecting their children’s clubs and classes. In a UK first, the CAA offers a benchmark for all organised children’s activities, raising industry standards across the sector.
In April this year, EdStart secured gold accreditation and fellowship membership of the CAA: the first primary school provider in the UK to achieve this status.
Sam Willoughby of the CAA, commented: “With his constant innovation, enthusiasm and dedication, Chris was the obvious choice to take home the award. His ideals are exactly aligned with those of the CAA: to promote and deliver excellence in the children’s activities sector.”
Olympic Gold Medallist and I’m a Celebrity star, Sam Quek, a proud ambassador and keynote speaker at the What’s On 4 Awards, said:
“I was very fortunate at a young age to be encouraged to play sport and particularly hockey. Now as an Olympic Gold Medallist, I am living proof of the importance of kids’ clubs and classes and how they inspire, empower and propel children to achieve.
“Having worked on creating an educational sporting video recently with EdStart, I’ve seen first-hand just how committed the team is to making a difference to children’s attitudes and confidence surrounding sport. The genuine passion about what they do is clear to see and the award really couldn’t have gone to a more deserving organisation. Congratulations to Chris and all at EdStart.”
