Tom Bradley Award 2021 Citation (From Oxfordshire):
Holly started teaching children at the Dragon School in Oxford some 10 years ago, but quickly expanded to run the Oxford Junior Bridge Club on Sunday afternoons. Her first pupils were youngsters from the Dragon School including Henry Rose, now a junior international, but it soon turned into a family event with parents joining their several children in the church hall. Holly was ably assisted by other volunteers from OBC, but as with most activities, the bulk of the work falls on the organiser. She organised larger Sunday events including children from outside both her area and county, which were both fun (worth travelling for) and well run (plenty of cake). When lock down closed all bridge Holly and Kathy Talbot started monthly online events for children. These became very popular with the August 2020 event having children all turning up on time across many time zones (write up in English Bridge). Undaunted, Holly trawled the Covid legislation and reopened her junior bridge club, now based at OBC, face to face, since she could tick all the required boxes (hard work though). She has taken many groups of children to the Schools Cup, and last year, when the Schools Cup was held online, it was won by Eton for the first time in 55 years, containing two of Holly’s ex-students. Many of her youngsters have become members of Giorgio’s U16 squad, and all these come from non bridge playing families. A remarkable achievement.