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The George Beard Cup is awarded to a member of Railway Union Sports Club who has made an outstanding contribution to the club.

The winner this year is Will Wilshere.

Will is the head tennis coach and has shown a remarkable level of commitment to the club in several ways. He works hard to recruit new, young and enthusiastic members for the tennis club, and puts a concerted effort into integrating these newcomers by spending time with them on the court and identifying the relative standards. This allows these new members to get the most out of their experience with the club and indeed to participate in events and leagues. Will attends most events, rallying the enthusiasm of players and spectators alike.

Will has also been of great practical help to the committee year upon year, giving reliable and insightful help and advice. His contribution to the tennis club’s social media has resulted in excellent coverage of club events which has no doubt contributed to attracting even more new faces.

As Railway is lucky enough to have a diverse range of ages actively playing for the club, it can often be difficult to bring all these groups together. Will has managed to integrate young players with their older peers, and has succeeded in empowering these older peers to mentor the younger players, tying each generation of players together and helping to maintain the “family” nature of the Railway club.

Although Will would be best known in the tennis section, he is part of the ‘glue’ that bonds Railway to be the great club we all are proud of.

These are the sorts of people were need in Railway Union Sports Club and that Will Wilshere is very deserving of this award.