Dronfield Rugby Club volunteer who supported the team for 50 years honoured with BEM
A devoted volunteer’s support for a local rugby club through its ‘ups and downs’ has been recognised in the King’s New Years Honours list.
“It’s overwhelming in some respects and embarrassing in some respects,” Terry Hensby told The Star after he was awarded the BEM for his unstoppable volunteering.
Terry has been supporting the players at Dronfield Rugby Club for 50 years now.
In 1971, after moving to Sheffield to become a PE teacher, he decided to join the local club as a player, and in his own words has ‘been involved ever since, basically’.
“When I was actually playing it was a small club, so you all needed to do extra jobs at that time” Terry explained.
The need for extra support to help build up the burgeoning club saw him take on many tasks throughout throughout the decade.
When he retired he briefly stepped away, however couldn’t shake off his love of the club and re-joined to volunteer in an administration role.
This eventually led to him becoming chairman, and in a full circle moment he is now coaching once more as his grandson joined the under 9s side.
“For many people it’s one of those games that gets under your skin,” he added.
“You just don’t want to let it go.
“Joining Dronfield in 1971 was the best thing I ever did - I’ve made so many friends.
“The club’s flourished, it’s had its ups and its downs as well, but at the moment we’re on a bit of a high.”
And while winning a game is an undeniable thrill, 77-year-old Terry from Nether Edge says that his favourite part is watching new generations develop through their love of the sport.
He said: “In particular I put a lot of my energy into getting young lads playing the game.
“It’s such a pleasure watching kids at a young age play and see how they develop.”
In November, ‘totally out of the blue’, he got the call to tell him he had been offered the BEM - and after a month of secrecy is now able to reveal it to the world.
However, while he’s undeniably pleased with the achievement, he admits that the awards aren’t why he continues to support the club after so many years.
“This is the thing with volunteers, we don’t do it for awards. I’m really chuffed with the award, but we don’t do it for that,” he said.
“I’m going back to coach the kids and get pleasure from watching them develop.
“There’s hundreds of thousand of people doing good, and there will be some people doing more than me who don’t get awards.”