FOOTBALLING starlets Curtis Anderson and Aimee Everett were the big Furness winners at last night’s Cumbria Sports Awards.

Anderson and Everett picked up Rising Star awards for their exploits on the football pitch.

Goalkeeper Anderson, who started playing for Crooklands Casuals at the age of five, is now firmly established as Manchester City’s first-choice under-18s number one. He has also cemented his place in the England set-up, firstly in the under-16s and more recently the under-17s side, and last month he was a member of the England team that won the Croatia Cup, which included an 8-1 demolition of Germany.

St Bernard’s School pupil Everett is a member of the England under-16s squad, having previosuly been a regular in the under-15s squad. The former Crooklands and Holker striker or midfielder also shared the Blackburn Rovers under-16s Players’ Player of the Year award.

Millom Recreation Centre Gymnastics Club were also celebrating after the scooping the Be Inspired award.

A group of former gymnasts established the club four years ago, at a time when the town had been without such a facility for 15 years, and they felt children were missing out because of that.

They were proved emphatically right, with membership figures now above 200, and youngsters, between the ages of three and 17, benefiting from expert coaching and inspiring visits from the likes of Olympians Beth Tweddle and Hannah Whelan.

The awards night – held at the Low Wood Bay Resort Hotel in Windermere – saw Longtown’s Olympic badminton player Lauren Smith pick up the Sports Personailty of the Year for the third time. Smith is the British number one and national champion, and along with partner, Heather Oliver, performed well at the Rio Games, finishing in a commendable joint-ninth place.

England cricket ace Ben Stokes won the Sports Performance award for hitting the fastest-ever double century by an England player at Test level and the second fastest in history, during the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town.

Team of the year went to Workington’s all- conquering North Lancs and Cumbria League cricket side, who went the entire season unbeaten and won the Premier Division, Higson Cup and County Cup.

Guest speaker at the event was Team GB Taekwondo star Lutalo Muhammad, and Richard Johnston, chair of the Cumbria Sports Awards organising committee, said: “The awards were a superb event and an excellent opportunity to celebrate the enormous effort and talents of the sporting stars of Cumbria.

“We had some excellent nominations for the awards this year, and I know that our judging panel had a real task to choose all of the deserving winners. It just goes to show what great talent and dedication to sport that we have in the county.”

JUNIOR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR: Olivia Mason, Distance Running.

RISING STARS: Curtis Anderson, Football; Kathryn Farley, Canoe Polo; Aimee Everett, Football; Brandon Carr, Karate; Esme Davies, Mountain Running.

JUNIOR TEAM OF THE YEAR: Cockermouth School Orienteering Team.

TEAM OF THE YEAR: Workington CC.

DISABILITY PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR: Simon Lawson, Wheelchair Distance.

COACH OF THE YEAR: John Little, Athletics/

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR: Ray McBride, Cumbria Wheelchair Sports Club.

YOUNG LEADER/VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR: Luke Brown, Triathlon/Swimming/

COMMUNITY GROUP OF THE YEAR: Kendal Cycle Club.

SERVICE TO SPORT: Eleanor Walsh, Swimming.

SPECIAL AWARD: Raymond Watson, Swimming.

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR: Ben Stokes, Cricket.

BE INSPIRED AWARD: MRC Gymnastics Club.

SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR: Lauren Smith, Badminton.