Johnny Cantor: Awards evenings always a special occasion for all

The Sussex Sports Awards are always well supported

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As we head towards the end of the year, many of us will begin to look back, summarise and assess 2016.

Whichever sport interests you, there will no doubt have been highlights and disappointments.

For many, the Olympics in Rio this year will have provided wonderful memories and gut-wrenching frustration. This week there were mixed fortunes for our Sussex athletes as they discovered whether or not they would receive lottery funding.

It will have been a relief for some, a blow for others. Of course, the lack of funding won’t deter many from their goals.

Many of those athletes who participated in Brazil will be celebrated at the annual Sussex Sports Awards this year in Brighton.

It is always a special occasion but this year we will have a chance to hear from and congratulate many of the top athletes in the county. However, it is also a chance to reward players and athletes, coaches and managers, volunteers and administrators. These unsung heroes are vital to everyone involved in sport, no matter what the level.

At BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey, we also celebrate our Community Heroes in all walks of life this month.