The JDC's first ever Community Award is announced, and the winner is .........?
BRIAN IVEY
Congratulations to Paignton Darts Academy Director Brian Ivey on winning the inaugural JDC Community Award 2018. Brian has for many years given an immense amount of time and effort to the sport we and he loves and in the last few years to the Paignton Darts Academy and the JDC.
Brian started up the Paignton Darts Academy in 2015 with long term friend Sydney Flannigan and to this day is holding regular sessions for boys and girls week in week out. In 2016 the academy became affilaited to the JDC and Brian was one of the first people to be accredited by the JDC. Throughout the last 2 years despite the distance of being at one of the extreme ends of the UK, Brian has spent many hours getting his students around the UK to attend the JDC tours and premium events. He attended his first JDC event, a fun day in Worcester taking 5 children and parents in a community minibus. Since then the Paignton Darts Academy has been present with Brian at multiple JDC events, Tours, Greenzone tours and the JDC's World Championship weekends. Brian's academy has provided at least 3 players to Devon County Youth and players for the JDC World Championship this year.
Brian has been instrumental in the affiliation programme the JDC now operates and his commitement to his locality and the JDC. Brian, like others is consistantly promoting his academy and the JDC in an impeccably positive manner and leads by example in the way in which his academy goes about its business. Brian works hard getting funds for the academy locally and through goverment initiatives. He has also obtained sponsorship within the academy locally and gets a lot of press coverage. All of the mentors at Brian's Academy are DBS checked and receive safegurding training. In addition there are first aid trained mentors for the welfare of his students at the academy. Brian is also very pro active on the Exhibition scene getting multiple opportunities for his youngsters to play with the top names in the game including the great late Eric Bristow ( pictured with Brian).
Brian also runs an Ambassador programme and has 4 players that support the academy, Trina Gulliver MBE, Maria O'Brien, Robbie Green and Snowy Dyson of which Trina, Maria and Robbie actually visit the Academy.
The JDC also benefit from Brian's enthusiasm for the junior game as Brian is in contact regularly with the JDC team, gives honest feedback and support to the JDC, always positive and willing to trial anything that will benefit the children within the JDC as a whole and not just his academy.
It is on that note the JDC wish to congratulate Brian on his award and look forward to seeing him in London where he will be presented with his award at the Alexandra Palace and join the PDC for the awards dinner in early 2019.
