​NORTH EAST REGIONAL VOLUNTEER AWARDS 2020
​
England Athletics recently presented their annual Volunteer Awards for the North East Region  via a ZOOM meeting.

The Official of the Year Award went to James Colling, while Margaret Frazer was awarded the Runner Up award. The 'virtual presentation' was done by Archie Jenkins and here is what Archie had to say on the night;

MARGARET FRAZER (Runner Up)
Margaret Frazer, like many, progressed from an athlete at her local club South Shields to become a technical official. Margaret, a level 4 field judge is an ever present at local events with a vast experience, enthusiastically advising and mentoring trainee officials and those on their pathway from level 1 to level 3. Her friendly encouragement is accessible to all. Her expertise involves appointments from local and regional to international level. One of her greatest achievements was her selection to officiate at the 2017 World Championships in London. Her services to master`s athletics was honoured when she was invited to become an Honorary Member of NEMAA. This commitment to master`s athletics locally and nationally has been rewarded with regular selection to World Master`s Championships throughout the globe, with the bonus of exciting world-wide travel. I may add Margaret is not shy to enjoying herself socially at the end of the day!
Margaret, also officiates regularly at local and regional endurance events. Administratively she serves on the NECAA General Committee, the Northern Athletics Official`s Association – making sure north east counties officials are not forgotten and she is in her first year as NECAA Track & Field CofSec.
 
JAMES COLLING (Winner)
As with Margaret, James progressed from athlete to technical official. James is described as diligent, hard-working, extremely knowledgeable, experienced, passionate, encouraging and the list goes on and on.  Below are a few of James` remarkable experiences and achievements since 2012.
2012 London Olympic Games                                              
2012 London Paralympics                                                                                        
2013 European Team Championships Gateshead
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow
2016 Rio Olympic Games
2016 Rio Olympic games
2017 World Championships London                                   
2017 World Paralympics London                                                                                         
2018 World Cup London
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham                                                               
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia
2019 European Indoors Glasgow                                         
2019 World Transplant Games Gateshead
2019 World Championships Doha                                       
2020 World Indoor Tour Technical Manager
Many Diamond Leagues etc.
Plus, many Passport Stamps if they still do them.
In most of the above, James as a L4 field event official was either officiating or involved in the technical team. Luckily to be skilled in `do it yourself`, James is famous for his `gizmos`, helping make the field officials job more professional and easier.
James with all this knowledge and experience is most approachable and is an ideal mentor for all levels. Combined with his field and technical duties, he is a well-qualified endurance official with national experience. This started back in 1995 when he was in the start team at the World Cross Country Championships in Durham. Four years later, he was the course measurer for the marathon at the World Veterans Championships in Gateshead. What many don`t know, is annually, James is the finish team leader, controlling thousands of Great North Runners crossing the line, a mammoth task efficiently carried out.
It is no surprise with the return to track and field competition, James was chosen as COVID-19 Coordinator at local events. With this in mind I had no hesitation in giving him the equivalent job in the first NE cross country event in the NE in a return to competition for young athletes during the pandemic.
​


​Here are many of the North East Officials who were involved in the recent World Para Athletics Championships which took place in London.

Find out more about how you can get involved by visiting the Officials page.

Mark Ellis has provided this fantastic blog of his World Championship Experience.

You can also follow the blog of one of our youngest officials on this link

Many North East Officials were in action at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London recently. As always, they have done the region proud!

Latest details of Officials Course available here

**NEWS** There will be a course at Gateshead college on Sunday 12th November 2017 and anyone interested should contact Chris Betts via email christopher.betts@btinternet.com.
 
The course will cover: Timekeeping, photofinish, track judging endurance, and field and starter/marksman

The North East is worryingly short of officials. The future development of competition in the area is under threat unless new officials step forward. Details of how to become an official can be found here: ​http://www.englandathletics.org/Officials

Young Officials have their own Facebook group - please click the facebook icon