DEVIZES Budo Club’s coach and treasurer Richard Hopkins was awarded a national bronze medal place at Saturday’s British Judo Association’s annual awards ceremony in Walsall in the Event Volunteer of the Year category.

Hopkins received the work for his decades of work organising the Devizes Open, which is now in its 41st year.

Eleven-year-old Lewis Mersini took bronze at the recent British nationals A-Band competition in Edinburgh, while the club’s England squad members Benjamin Mersini and Jasmin Edwards have both been competing in European competitions.

Devizes were squeezed into third place at the Western Area team championships in Weston-super-Mare despite having a man short.