Hames Sharley Director, James Edwards received the Volunteer Achievement Award on Monday night at the prestigious Newcombe Medal, Australia Tennis Awards, held at Crown Palladium in Melbourne.

In his capacity as President of the Onslow Park Tennis Club, James was one of three national finalists for this award which honours the volunteers within tennis who foster relationships within and between their club and the community and recognises the contribution they make to the sport, specifically in the area of delivering more active players.

James was presented with his trophy by former world number one, Evonne Goolagong and 2017 Newcombe Medal winner, Ashleigh Barty in front of a packed crowd of over 500 members of the tennis fraternity.

Having held the position of Club President for the last 13 years, under his leadership the Onslow Park Tennis Club has been transformed into a thriving club, with connections throughout local community in Western Australia.

The club’s nomination of James was not only based on the transformation the club has experienced, but also on the countless hours he has invested into club activities, with no task considered too large or trivial to fit it into his otherwise very busy professional life at Hames Sharley! This includes attending the club on weekends to fix dilapidated pergolas, attending junior awards ceremonies to present trophies, and welcoming new international members to his home to enjoy some Australian hospitality.

James is delighted to be recognised but also credits the work of his committee.

“This award is not only a reflection of my efforts but the commitment and support of the committee members and many dedicated volunteers,” Mr Edwards said.

Tennis West CEO, Michael Roberts added, “Volunteers really are the backbone of our sport, and tennis is extremely fortunate to have volunteers of the ilk of James Edwards within our community”.

“It is fantastic to see James’ hard work, passion and dedication recognised at a national level, he is truly deserving of the honour bestowed to him,” Mr Roberts said.