CASES Volunteer of the Year Awards 2026 - Winners Announced

The CASES Board is delighted to announce its winners of the Volunteer of the Year Awards 2026.

The awards were established to recognise all the hard work and dedication from all the volunteers working on behalf of the Association.

After a careful review of the applications, we are proud to announce the following winners:

• CASES Volunteer of the Year 2026: Dr Kotryna Lewis FCASES
• CASES Volunteer (Committee Member) 2026 Winner: Neil Guthrie
• CASES Volunteer (Committee Member) 2026 Runners-up: Annabelle Skidmore and Victoria Tidmas

Meet the winners

Dr Kotryna Lewis FCASES, is based at The University of Sydney and has been Chair of the CASES Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Advisory Group.

Kotryna has served two terms as EDI Chair and has proactively connected with the chairs of all divisions, committees, and Special Interest Groups to start an EDI conversation and facilitate a collegiate approach to EDI across CASES.

Kotryna said,

“Receiving the CASES Volunteer Award is both humbling and inspiring. Many of us dedicate time and energy to make the sport and exercise science community a better place because we strongly believe in it and in CASES.

“I am deeply honoured that my fellow CASES colleagues noticed my efforts to contribute to a bigger good. Thank you to them and to CASES for supporting a culture of constructive collaboration and professional excellence."

Neil Guthrie, is based at Edinburgh Napier University and is the Career Development Lead within the CASES Technical Special Interest Group (TSIG).

As a member from launch, as the TSIG Advisory Group and Career Development Lead, Neil has consistently gone above and beyond his voluntary role whilst balancing his responsibilities as a Senior Technician at Edinburgh Napier University and Specialist Advisor for NTDC.

Neil said,

“I was delighted to receive news of this award and appreciate the continued support from CASES. What I, and the wider CASES Technical Special Interest Group do and achieve is possible because of the amazing support that the board and the wider CASES team have shown from the start, and it is very appreciated. So, thank you very much for that continued support.

“I am excited to see the work of the Technical Special Interest Group develop over the next few years and I hope we can continue to positively influence the technical landscape within Sport, Exercise and Health Science.”

Meet the runners-up

Annabelle Skidmore, Postgraduate Student Representative in the Physical Activity For Health (PA4H) Division and Vice Chair of the Student Advisory Group.

Having served as the PA4H Postgraduate Representative for two and a half years and as Vice Chair of the Student Advisory Group for over a year, Annie has consistently demonstrated leadership, initiative, and a strong commitment to the CASES community.

Annabelle said,

“I am very pleased and grateful to have received the Volunteer of the Year Committee Member runner up award. I would like to thank everyone at CASES for their continued support and specifically the Physical Activity for Health Division for the opportunity to be involved in a brilliant organisation.

“This role has provided me some great experiences, networking events and a platform to share my research amongst experts in the field. I look forward to continuing future work with CASES.”

Victoria Tidmas, Postgraduate Student Representative in the Physiology and Nutrition Division and Chair of the Student Advisory Group (SAG).

Vicky has been the Postgraduate Representative for the Physiology and Nutrition Division and a member and Chair of the Student Advisory Group. Vicky also took on the role of the Student Representative on the CASES Conference Planning Committee for 2026. Vicky has been proactive in moving the SAG forwards especially over the last year and has contributed across a number of representative roles supporting CASES’ evolution. She has been a visionary Chair providing insight and new ideas into the SAG.

Vicky said,

“I am delighted to have received recognition for the work I’ve been doing with CASES over the last few years as a student representative and Chair of the Student Advisory Group. It’s been a really rewarding experience, with wonderful connections made, and I’m especially proud of what the SAG has achieved together. I wish the everyone within the organisation every success for the future!”

Thank you

The CASES Board thanks all our volunteers for their ongoing hard work, support and efforts for CASES and our members. Hearty congratulations are extended to all the winners for their well-earned accolades.

If you are interested in volunteering as a CASES member, please get in touch with one of the committees, divisions or special interest groups, or email enquiries@cases.org.uk for advice on your steps into volunteering!

Read a full review of all the volunteering efforts from across the CASES membership in our latest Annual Report 2025-26.