Longley Park KIA have been part of the Huddersfield community for over 33 years.
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Longley Park KIA, is 100% Huddersfield. From its showrooms in Paddock it has enjoyed truly amazing sales success over recent years. The KIA combination of great designs, latest technology and the unique Kia seven year warranty has led all types of drivers and local companies to team up with Longley Park KIA and never look back!
Whether your motoring is for business or pleasure Longley Park will make it a satisfying and comfortable experience. As a family business, we are caring, flexible, and respect all our customers as special individuals. We offer a genuine personal service in the way only an independent company can.
Longley Park KIA – genuine, friendly, trustworthy, Huddersfield and proud and it gives us great pleasure to name and meet the Sports Team of the Year.
The last 12 months have been an inspirational year for a group of young disabled swimmers who have taken their sport to a new level.
The 15 members of the Borough of Kirklees (BOK) disability swimming squad have taken on the rest of the world – and returned to Huddersfield with honours.
Young teenagers Jonathan Booth and Maisie Burnand have just come back from the British Para-Swimming International in Glasgow. Maisie swam a personal best and Jonathan is the new British Junior Champion. Both have been targeted as possible future Paralympic contenders and belong to national talent programmes .
Success has not been confined to this talented duo though. Seven squad members (whose ages range from 10 to 14), their dedicated coaches and families returned triumphant from the Special Olympic Summer Games last August.
It was the first time the club had taken part in a national Special Olympics event.– and what a debut it was. Jack Drennan, Aisling Connelly, Zoe Rank, Ruben Reuter, Joanne Kempley, Rebekah Hill and Ben Sweeney competed for Yorkshire over three days, accompanied by coaches Gemma Hill-Wood and Ed Lim.
They surpassed all expectations, amassed a total of 14 medals and had the experience of a lifetime, with every swimmer winning at least one medal and posting a personal best.
The club, which trains at the stadium and Almondbury High baths, has three talented swimmers who also train with the GB Down’s Syndrome Squad. Ben Sweeney and Joanne Kempley – having represented Great Britain at previous World Championships in Portugal, Taiwan and Italy – are on track to qualify for Mexico in November 2014. Ruben Reuter, 13, has also been selected to train with the GB team. Ben Sweeney has claimed five European, and one World Mosaic Down’s Syndrome record over the past year.
The club was set up over 10 years ago by the “inspirational” Gemma Hill-Wood.
Team manager Christine Kempley said: “Gemma is amazing, she is always at the poolside and exudes confidence and enthusiasm.
“Everyone is buzzing with our successes - and the Community Awards. We are absolutely thrilled and tremendously excited to reach the final.”
The girls of Huddersfield Town Ladies Under 14s could certainly never be accused of letting the grass grow under their feet.
The team was only formed in 2011, but since then have gone from strength to strength, bagging a number of trophies and becoming national champions along the way.
In 2011-12 they finished runners up in Division 2 of The Sheffield and Hallam Girls County Football League (then in the Under 12s), winning 17 of their 18 games and only losing out to eventual champions Wickersley on goal difference.
They reached the semi-final of the League Cup, but narrowly lost to eventual winners Doncaster Belles. They also won the Futsal tournament at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre in Bradford.
Having been promoted to Division 1, the team was unbeaten last season, winning 20 and drawing five of their matches. They completed the double with a sweet victory over Doncaster Belles in the League Cup final.
The highlight for the team to date came last July when they were crowned national champions at The Aces tournament, held in Leicester and competed for by the top 12 league winners from around the country. The Huddersfield girls will be defending their title this summer.
This year they are runaway winners of the League title, having scored over 110 goals and conceded just 15 so far – and have once again beaten Doncaster Belles to take the League Cup.
Although linked to Huddersfield Town, the Under 14s are self-funding and this season played their home matches at Grange Moor. Keeping the club running falls to a handful of volunteers and committee members who are happy to give up their time to keep ladies football in Huddersfield healthy.
The current squad comprises 16 girls under the stewardship of coaches James Pare and Nigel Allen, whose daughters both play for the team. Committee chairman David Mallin set up and coached the team until last summer. He puts their success down to a combination of natural talent and hard work.
He said: “The team has gone from strength to strength – they didn’t lose a match last season and lost only one this season. We have some very, very good players. They work hard and really are a good set of girls.”
What a season it’s been for Huddersfield Judo Club – one which will be talked about for years or even decades to come.
The club smashed all records at the West Yorkshire Championships in Bradford earlier this year when every single competitor picked up a medal.
This was the first time in the 60-year history of the club that this had happened and everyone associated with the club – members, coaches and parents – was justifiably proud of the remarkable achievement.
James Rafferty came away with a gold medal in his very first competition. He was in the lowest weight category (30kg) and weighed in at just 23kg, but fought bravely to take the title against much bigger competitors.
Lucas Carpenter (Under 34kg) and Ella Jo Hampson (Girls Under 36kg) also fought in esteemed company, giving a weight and height advantage to all their opponents. Both still won all of their fights to take gold medals with performances which included stunning Ippon throws.
Alex Finlayson had probably the best achievement of the tournament, beating far more experienced players in the Under 66kg category (Under 17 years) to add to the gold medal tally.
Other successful fighters were Jake Burgess (gold in Under 40kg), Leah Evitt (silver in Girls U36kg), Tom Butterworth (silver in the Under 50kg) and Lewis Rushworth (bronze in same weight).
Gabriella Kuligia won gold in the Over 52kg, Jamie Snelson silver in the Boys Under 73kg and Spencer Lambert bronze in the Under 81kg to complete a marvellous day for the Huddersfield club.
The club meets at Huddersfield Sports Centre and has both able bodied and disabled members, who range in age from five to 55.
Delighted coach Steve Lawrence said: “These were the best result we have ever had – we just bombed everybody. The parents were cock-a-hoop and our members were really happy.
“Over the last year, we have concentrated on the basics and now we are reaping the dividends. It is also very pleasing that we are winning with some style.
“We’ll continue coaching our children into the adult ranks and carry on making sure they enjoy it. Now we’re really looking forward to the awards evening.”
