AN English champion boxer; a World Cup-winning goalkeeper; global orienteering medallists; and history-making footballers – the stars of South Cumbria were honoured at the Mail Sports Awards.

The inaugural event at Hawcoat Park saw close to 150 guests from across the sporting spectrum in attendance for a night to celebrate the achievements of 2017.

English light-heavyweight boxing champion Liam Conroy took the main prize on the night, as he was named Senior Sportsperson of the Year.

Conroy saw off stiff competition from fellow shortlisted candidates Charlotte Jones – the Barrow jockey who rose to prominence with a series of wins at Cartmel and Aintree – and Liam Livingstone – the new Lancashire cricket captain, whose efforts with the bat have seen him handed his first call-up to an England Test squad.

Looking back on winning the English title in September, when he earned a second-round stoppage against defending champion Joel McIntyre at London’s York Hall, Conroy said at the awards: “It was amazing. It means everything to me. It’s something I’ve wanted to win since I was a kid, when I started out when I was nine.

“It has been a lot of years hard work, and it was just unbelievable emotions to win it.”

Conroy was joined in the hall at Hawcoat Park by his dad Dave and fiancée Melissa Hickey, and was all smiles as he picked up his award from Mail sports editor Matt Davies.

Looking ahead to his hopes for 2018, with a second defence of his English title on the horizon against Miles Shinkwin in March, he said: “The target now is to defend against Miles Shinkwin, and then I want to win a British title.

“That’s what I wanted when I was turning pro, and I’m not far away now.

“In 2018, I want a British title, or an equivalent big title. I want to push myself and see how close to them I can get.”

While Livingstone was unable to make the night due to his commitments with the England Lions squad – his parents Steve and Julie were in attendance in his place – Jones was there after her 12 months of great success.

She was delighted to be on the shortlist of candidates for the Sportsperson of the Year Award, and said: “It was definitely a surprise – I just turn up and ride a horse, sometimes I don’t even class it as a sport myself! Obviously, it is – there is so much fitness and hard work that goes into it – but at the same time, it’s just something that I’ve done since I was six.

“It’s something that I just do for fun, let alone getting paid for it and let alone other people noticing it as well. That’s all a bonus.”

The presentation of the award to Conroy capped a night when 12 other prizes had been handed out across the board.

Nine Service to Sport Awards went to figures from football, rugby union, rugby league, gymnastics and cricket, with individuals who have spent decades dedicating themselves to clubs, leagues and sports all recognised. Referee Joe Gardner, still going strong in his 80s; Barrow Celtic stalwart Dennis Boyd – who was sadly unable to attend due to illness; Hawcoat Park RU pair Terry Burns and John Horne; Millom RL’s Gary Kelly and Paul Roskell; long-standing cricket umpire and league official Terry Atkinson; and Furness Gymnastics Club pair Ian and Lyn Fraser were all applauded for their efforts.

Ulverston Victoria High School’s girls orienteering team walked off with the Junior Team of the Year prize, the talented quintet being applauded onto the stage by, among others, their schoolmates from the table cricket team, who were also shortlisted – along with Dalton RL’s double-winning under-16s team.

Commitments with Manchester City meant that England Under-17s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Curtis Anderson could not attend to pick up the Junior Sportsperson prize – having pipped judoka Harvey Burns, the grandson of Service to Sport winner Terry on a great night for the family – and fellow England international Aimee Everett to the prize.

Anderson’s dad Terry – himself still playing for Crooklands Casuals in the Furness Premier League, though he admitted it has become a lot harder to beat his son with his shooting efforts – picked up the prize on his behalf.

The youngster Tweeted later: “Proud to win the @NWEMlive sports person of the year! Thank you to everyone who voted for me and supports me! Grateful.”

Croftlands Park FC beat off competition from Barrow Raiders and the Black Combe Runners women’s fell-running team to land the Senior Team of the Year prize, almost the whole squad barely fitting on the stage as they accepted their shield.

Before the main prizes were handed out, Barrow AFC legend Neil Doherty took part in a question-and-answer session with the ‘voice of Barrow AFC’, Darren Herbert. He saluted those individuals who had picked up Service to Sport Awards – though he jokingly recalled Boyd not playing him as a youngster at Barrow Celtic, believing he has recruited him so his friend, another future AFC player, Paul Slater, would join as well – and spoke of the need for sport to adapt to ensure it maintains its importance place in the South Cumbria community.

The Mail and the awards organising committee would like to thank awards sponsors Furness Heating, the GMB union, Barrow RL Auxiliary Branch, Barrow and District Rugby League and the Furness Coaching Association for their support of the night.

Thanks also go to Hawcoat Park for staging the event, Cameron Lees for providing the PA and lighting, Darren Herbert and Neil Doherty for their question-and-answer session, and all those who attended or supported the awards in their first year.

Plans are already taking shape for the 2018 awards next year, with clubs and individuals from across the area urged to get involved by highlighting the achievements of potential contenders.