SEVEN key areas for sports development were outlined by Herefordshire Sports Council honorary secretary Bryan White when he addressed a large audience at the organisation's annual awards evening.

Eleven sports were recognised by the Sports Council with individuals and clubs receiving awards for outstanding contributions at Hereford's Royal National College for the Blind.

"The sporting successes we are here to acknowledge and applaud tonight have not just happened by accident," said White.

"They are the result of hard work, not only put in by the athletes themselves, but also by their coaches, club officials and, very often in the case of young people, through the support of their families."

All that represented sports development, which should be contained in a plan, to be constantly reviewed - a process Hereford-shire Sports Council was currently undertaking with their partners from the Sports Development unit of Herefordshire Council.

He said: "The work we are doing with our partners is aimed at producing a coherent, co-ordinated strategy for the generic development of sport and physical activity in Herefordshire."

The seven key areas for development provision were: education, leisure facilities, performance and excellence, coaching, marketing and promotion, participation, and health and fitness.

Within each of these were about 30 initiatives to advance the cause.

"Sport has a responsibility to the community at large to encourage mass participation as a contribution to improving the health and lifestyle of our citizens," he said.

Sports Council chairman Tony Larkin paid tribute in his opening address to the voluntary contribution made by Bryan White and said that his work was 'not only for us, but many other organisations.'

He also thanked the executive committee for their time and effort and remarked on the excellent cross-section of sports and ages represented at the evening.

The awards were presented by Jon Argent, chief executive of Halo, the organisation which runs leisure centres and pools across Herefordshire.

Argent outlined the objectives of Halo, which was set up 10 months ago as a not-for-profit charitable trust for everyone in the Herefordshire community. Among the benefits were that all money made was ploughed back in for continual improvements, the new spa at Hereford Leisure Pool being an example.

He made the various Sports Council awards, while The Hereford Times Ted Woodriffe Award - to motorcyclist Chaz Davies- was presented by Patricia Woodriffe, and the Herefordshire Cricket Board Rob Staite Award - to umpire David James - was presented by Brian and Beryl Staite.