Lunchtime Meeting - 12.45pm - Speaker Bill Bowen

Val Hanover began volunteering in 1960 at a residential home as part of her Gold Duke of Edinburgh award.  She has been involved with Special Olympics since it's inception in 1978. When Val moved to Shropshire she set up the North Shropshire Special Olympics and has been the driving force behind the club ever since.

Val's role in the club has included everything from trainer to administrator to minibus driver. She strengthened the coaching squad allowing the athletes to develop and the club became a regular host for regional events on the back of Val's reputation.  For Val, volunteering became a full time occupation and her determination to provide a variety of sports at all levels to the members has not only brought them fantastic sporting opportunities, but perhaps more importantly friendships, confidence and the ethos that taking part and doing your best is just as important as winning.

To Val her incredible commitment to her team of 47 members, whose ages range from eight to 65, is all in a day's work. This involves training with her team twice a week in sports such as swimming, table tennis and boccia, plus fundraising and admin.  Val has enabled each member to fulfil their own personal potential and 3 club members took part in the World Games in Athens.

Recognition came her way when when she was named BBC Midlands Sports Unsung Hero in 2006 after organising Special Olympics for thousands of people with learning difficulties throughout North Shropshire since 1978.  A week later she picked up the BBC Sports Personality of the Year's Unsung Hero Award.

In 2011, Val was also awarded the William Penny Brookes Trophy at the 2011 Energize Awards (to recognise local achievement in sport and physical activity) for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin in recognition of her work with the North Shropshire Special Olympics Group.

Val is retiring from the club shortly and moving from the area and will be hugely missed.

Val has been awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship by Oswestry Rotary Club in recognition of her work with the NS Special Olympics Group.

Bill Bowen had the task of following Val and engaged the Club with a talk on what to advise your family members when they are considering investing in the property market.