A healthy crowd of around 280 people, including young competitors, parents, coaches, team managers, Borough Council representatives and VIPs gathered at The Stoop in Twickenham to mark Richmond's triumph in winning the Jubilee Trophy for the first time ever as overall champions of the 2011 Balfour Beatty London Youth Games.

The boroughs landmark year also saw them collect the Thames Water London Youth Games Regatta Trophy as overall water sport champions and trophies for winning the cycling, archery, aquathlon, rowing, kayak sprint and cross country competitions in what is Europe's largest annual youth sports event.

Harlequins and All-Blacks player Nick Evans and two-times Olympic swimmer Ed Sinclair were on hand to present the prizes and lend their congratulations. As were last year's Mayor of Richmond Cllr. David Marlow and Cllr. Pamela Fleming, Cabinet Member for Community, Business and Culture.

Cllr. Fleming said: "It is such an enormous achievement, there's a real sense of pride in all our young people. The London Youth Games is a great event for our schools to participate in. It's a great encouragement for them all year round. There is now a real sense of inspiration and determination to win it next year in the Olympic year.

"Now the trophy has come west - because I believe it usually goes east - we are not going to let go of it very easily. I think a lot of the schools and the clubs - having seen the success this year - will be really spurred to go for it in Olympic year."

As well as the presentations to all the young people who participated in the boroughs success, there were several special awards given to other major contributors to the year.

Twickenham Cycling Club collected the Overall Contribution of the Year Award. Volunteer of the Year went to Mark Hughes of The Lensbury Club. Ruth Arnold of Sunbury Hockey Club collected the Mini Games Team Manager of the Year Award and Gemma Lloyd of Twickenham Rowing Club won the Main Games Team Manager of the Year Award.

The Balfour Beatty London Youth Games is Europe's largest annual youth sports event and was first launched in 1977. Funded by Sport England National Lottery, with over 64,000 participants aged 7-18 from 33 London borough teams taking part in 60 competitions across 30 sports covering 26 event days.

Former participants at the London Youth Games include Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu, Paralympic wheelchair racing champion David Weir and England and Man Utd footballer Rio Ferdinand.