Steve Rigby 3Cs Points of Light Award

[Mick Norris]

Steve Rigby, the founder of 3Cs' chess club 45 years ago, has been honoured with a Points Of Light award, which is a National Honour personally granted by the Prime Minister to individual volunteers who have made a significant contribution to the community.

Steve has received a personal letter of appreciation from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for all the efforts he has made in encouraging youngsters to play chess while his commendation will forever be on the "Points of Light" website which honours all those who have been recognised by 10 Downing Street.

[Kevin Thurlow]

I don't think I have ever met him, but this is great news. Well done!

[MartinCarpenter]

Well deserved. An amazing achievement 3C's really - of course by multiple people - especially when put it into the context of the relative desert of junior chess in the N of England throughout much of that period.

I am gently amused by the use of forever in the context of a website

[Mick Norris]

Steve now has his certificate, so the 3Cs website has been updated

[Ronnie Burton]

Well done Steve

[Geoff Chandler]

I see Steve has now been awarded; 'A Medal of the Order of the British Empire' in the 2025 Honours List.

Stephen Gerrard RIGBY Founder, The Children’s Chess Club (3Cs). For services to Young People.

Well Done. Excellent news.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... T_2025.pdf

[Mick Norris]

Good spot Geoff

Well done Steve

That saves us from Neil's usual no honours for chess post

[Mick Norris]

Powys man awarded British Empire medal for his work in chess

3Cs with some great photos, including Steve at Wembley Stadium

[Mick Norris]

3Cs website with photos

Steve Rigby, the founder of Oldham-based 3Cs chess club over forty-six years ago, has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2025 King’s New Year’s Honours for services to chess and his work with young people in the community, therefore becoming only the thirteenth person in the country to receive a national honour from the monarch specifically because of their involvement with chess.
​
The honour has been granted to Steve just twelve months after he also received the national "Points of Light" award; the recipients of which are personally selected by the Prime Minister (then Rishi Sunak) for outstanding voluntary service within their community and on that occasion was the first person to have had their work for the benefit of chess recognised in such a prestigious manner.
​
It was in 1978 that Steve, a former headteacher at a number of Oldham schools, founded the “Children’s Chess Club of Oldham” (now known locally, nationally, and internationally as “3Cs”) along with fellow local teacher Roy Williams after they were informed that many already established chess clubs were unwilling to allow children into their midst.
​
Therefore, Steve and Roy agreed to establish an Oldham schools’ chess league assisted by notable contributors such as Gareth Lewis, Brian Whitworth and Arthur Marsden as well as other teachers interested in providing opportunities for Oldham children to compete in what was at that time considered a somewhat elite academic pastime. From this early schools’ league the Oldham under-11s and later under-9s teams were formed, both of which continue to represent the town to this day under the care and capable hands of Dale James, himself one of Steve and Roy’s original group of players in 1978 and who eventually became the first player from 3Cs to win a British Championship when becoming the national under-14s' champion in 1984.​​

[Roger Lancaster]

3Cs website with photos

Steve Rigby, the founder of Oldham-based 3Cs chess club over forty-six years ago, has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2025 King’s New Year’s Honours for services to chess and his work with young people in the community, therefore becoming only the thirteenth person in the country to receive a national honour from the monarch specifically because of their involvement with chess.
​
The honour has been granted to Steve just twelve months after he also received the national "Points of Light" award; the recipients of which are personally selected by the Prime Minister (then Rishi Sunak) for outstanding voluntary service within their community and on that occasion was the first person to have had their work for the benefit of chess recognised in such a prestigious manner.
​
It was in 1978 that Steve, a former headteacher at a number of Oldham schools, founded the “Children’s Chess Club of Oldham” (now known locally, nationally, and internationally as “3Cs”) along with fellow local teacher Roy Williams after they were informed that many already established chess clubs were unwilling to allow children into their midst.
​
Therefore, Steve and Roy agreed to establish an Oldham schools’ chess league assisted by notable contributors such as Gareth Lewis, Brian Whitworth and Arthur Marsden as well as other teachers interested in providing opportunities for Oldham children to compete in what was at that time considered a somewhat elite academic pastime. From this early schools’ league the Oldham under-11s and later under-9s teams were formed, both of which continue to represent the town to this day under the care and capable hands of Dale James, himself one of Steve and Roy’s original group of players in 1978 and who eventually became the first player from 3Cs to win a British Championship when becoming the national under-14s' champion in 1984.​​

Richly deserved, congratulations.