'What a great example she has been to us' - Crawley Old Girls founder Carol Bates receives her British Empire Medal at special ceremony at Crawley Town

The Crawley Old Girls (COGs) founder was joined by friends, family and the COGS family at the emotional presentation.

The Vice Lord-Lieutenant Sir Richard Kleinwort and deputy Lord-Lieutenant Julia Aisbitt represented the Queen at the ceremony and presented Carol with her medal.

Sir Richard opened proceedings and said: "Carol has waited a little bit of extra-time to receive her amazing award. But as a result of that tardiness, here we are in Platinum year.

"This is the first time ever a monarch has reigned as long as this and today The Queen has made it to Westminster Abbey, which is incredible. And you are receiving it from her, via me. This is quite something."

He added: "This is the highest honour in the land given by the Queen for work carried out in the community for the community. Carol created a movement seven years ago, how many of us will do that in our lifetime?

"What a great example she has been to us and you the community."

Mrs Aisbitt then read the citation, which read: "It gives me great pleasure to be here today in celebration of Carol's achievements."

Carol was given the award as part of last year's Queen's Birthday Honours list in June 2021.

COGs was founded by Carol in 2016 with the help of the Crawley Town Community Foundation and started as a group of 10 friends over the age of 40 but has now grown to a group of more than 100 members who come together to train and compete five times a week.

This has inspired other clubs across the country to do the same and in 2018 Carol organised 200 women to play an old girls’ World Cup in France. Many of the players cite the transformational impact the club has had on their lives and wellbeing.

COGs have previously been in the FA Women’s Football Awards and won the FA #WeCanPlay Participation Award for their ‘innovative and amazing concept’.

In 2018, they received the Inspiring Local Initiative Award at the Women’s Sport Trust Be A Game Changer Awards and in 2019 Carol was a finalist of Sunday Times sportswoman of the year awards.

At the ceremony, Carol thanked everyone for coming and said: "I would like to thank everyone at COGs for helping make what we are today.

"There are so many inspiring women. Everyone has a story and everyone is inspiring and that is what inspires me to carry on. We try to make it fun and we just want it to be normal that women can get active at a later age and play football."

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