The signal has gone out to shine a spotlight on talented young sportspeople from across Sefton for the Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards.
An appeal for nominations has today been launched to discover who will be crowned Sefton Young Sportsperson 2026 sponsored by Merseyrail.
The winner or winners of the award will be unveiled at the 2025 Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards at The Grand in Southport on Friday 24th April 2025.
Organisers are eager to see entries from Bootle Crosby, Southport, Formby, Maghull and elsewhere in our borough, showing the rich sporting talent we have locally.
They are seeking your nominations for young people who you think have achieved highly in recent months in any sport played locally – whether it’s football, golf, netball, rugby, cricket, swimming, squash, hockey, gymnastics, shooting, or anything else.
You can nominate via the Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards website: Pride Of Sefton Awards or email: standupforsouthport@gmail.com
James Smith, HR Director at Merseyrail said:
“We’re delighted to once again sponsor the Young Sportsperson of the Year award at the Grand Pride of Sefton Awards.
“Being part of these awards is a privilege because it reflects who we are as an organisation, rooted in the communities we serve and proud to support and champion the next generation.
“These incredible young athletes inspire us all, and we’re honoured to help shine a spotlight on their achievements”
Last year the Sefton Young Sportsperson Award sponsored by Merseyrail had two outstanding joint winners: Grace Eccles and Melissa Mosscrop.
Grace Eccles
Grace made British history by being the first British woman to win the Silver Medal at the Age Group World Aerobic Gymnastics Championships held in Paesaro in Italy.
Grace’s hard work and dedication to aerobic gymnastics is outstanding.
Melissa Moscrop
Melissa Moscrop has been road and track cycling since the age of eight and she spends hours and hours each week training, sacrificing nearly all of her spare time.
All her hard work recently paid off when she was selected for Team GB’s national talent programme being one of only ten female riders, in her age group, to be picked from across Great Britain.
The programme supports riders all the way to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The 2026 Grand Pride Of Sefton Awards will recognise people who have made truly inspiring or outstanding contributions to life in Sefton in 13 different categories.
The unmissable night in the Merseyside events calendar will be presented by actress and radio personality Claire Simmo.
All those on the shortlist will be invited to a special celebratory meal in the beautiful surroundings of The Grand on Lord Street in Southport while the awards are presented, with a night of entertainment, on Friday 24th April 2026.
The Pride Of Sefton Awards are organised by Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group and Stand Up For Southport with support from Media Partner In Demand Radio.
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