A VOLUNTEER at Wrexham AFC has been rewarded for her hard work and impact at the club over the last 18 months.

Kerry Evans is the Disability Liaison Officer for The Dragons and has been acknowledged for all the work she has been putting in at The Racecourse.

She won the Volunteer of the Year award at The National League's AGM at Celtic Manor in Newport.

Mrs Evans said she had been asked to attend a gala by club representatives but had no idea an awards evening was even taking place.

“I was invited to attend a gala evening at Celtic Manor, but I had no idea that there was even going to be an awards side to the night, let alone know I was going to win one.

“I won Volunteer of the Month back in September, and I didn’t realise that if you won one of those awards you were automatically nominated to win a Volunteer of the Year award.

“I was so surprised to win Volunteer of the Year, and completely overwhelmed by it.”

Mrs Evans began operating as Disability Liaison Officer at Wrexham AFC in 2017 and since then has worked to make The Racecourse as inclusive and accessible as possible, introducing facilities such as accessible away day travel, a quiet zone for people living with autism, as well as an audio version of the matchday programme.

She was also instrumental in helping Wrexham AFC become the first football club in Wales to be deemed autism friendly.

She went on to explain how much her role as Disability Liaison Officer means to her.

“At the end of the day I’m just a person doing a job that I love to do.

“My motto for the whole time I’ve been volunteering at Wrexham is that I want to make The Racecourse the most inclusive and accessible place it can possibly be.

“I’ve worked a lot with the National Autistic Society in Wrexham and one of the best things we’ve done is provide autism friendly football sessions for kids during school holidays. Parents have come to me and told me it’s changed their child’s life, and it is so rewarding to watch them be able to play some football and just enjoy themselves.”

Mrs Evans said that plans are already in place for further developments next season, as the club will begin handing out autism friendly packs, and plan to paint steps across the ground yellow to make them easier to detect for people living with dementia.

She expressed her personal pride at winning the award, and promising that the work does not stop here.

“It is such an honour for me, and I am so proud to have been chosen out of everyone in The National League to win this award.

“Wrexham AFC has given me the privilege to do what I love for the past 18 months and allow me to attempt to make a difference and an impact on people’s lives. This isn’t just a big accolade for me, but for the club as well.

“It isn’t just me though, without the number of volunteers the club has, it wouldn’t be where it is today.

“There is always more work to be done though, there is more I can do, and I want to keep doing this. I want to it to be so that anyone can come to The Racecourse no matter what their situation or circumstance.

“I’m truly humbled and astounded to have won the award. It’s things like this, knowing that I am making an impact on people’s lives that drives me and I’m going to keep doing that.”