Super 1s Celebration Evening
Three Super 1s participants and a Super 1s coach were presented with awards by England men’s all-rounder Sam Curran and England Deaf and Mixed disability team all-rounder, Josh Price at the Lord’s Taverners Super 1s Awards Evening hosted at the Oval this week. All four winners also met our Patron, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh on the night after he witnessed the impact of the Super 1s programme for the first time.
The event delivered alongside long-term Super 1s programme partner, the Berkeley Foundation, recognises young people with a disability for their achievements and personal development in Super 1s over the previous year.
For the first time, participants who were recognised on the night received awards that were representatives of the charity’s values. Ravi, Sebbie and Matthew were presented with Include, Empower and Inspire awards respectively to illustrate the impact they have had as role models in their Super 1s settings.
Each of the award winners’ had films specially made to showcase the journeys they’d been on since engaging with Super 1s. Read on to find out more and watch their stories.
Sebbie Hall
Having experienced the impact of being part of the Super 1s programme, Sebbie discovered his own superpower – kindness. Covid-19 was the catalyst for the Staffordshire Super 1s participant to deliver acts of kindness everywhere he went in his community to help transform the lives of others. Sebbie says his acts of kindness are a way of acknowledging the help he was given to help him deal with a rare chromosome anomaly which means he lives with physical and communication difficulties. His work has seen him recognised on BBC News and resulted in the founding of the Sebbie Hall Kindness Foundation.
Matthew Clark
Matthew lives with sturge weber syndrome, a rare, congenital neurological disorder affecting blood vessels in the skin, brain, and eyes, causing a facial birthmark (port-wine stain), seizures, developmental delays, and glaucoma. He has overcome countless challenges, with every barrier and obstacle fuelling his passion. The resilience he’s shown in the face of adversity is truly inspiring and he loves being involved in sport. He is a fantastic role model, not just for the young people who are part of the Super 1s programme and attend his hub in Hertfordshire, but for everyone. Matthew’s story is an incredible one and we strongly encourage you to watch it.
Ravi Chahal
Northumberland Super 1s participant Ravi lives with a rare inherited form of blindness called Lebers Congenital Amarousis, affecting around 1 in 80,000 newborns. Ravi’s dad was watching an England v New Zealand Test match with eight year-old Ravi in the living room. Whilst Ravi couldn’t see the TV, he started asking what the rules were and what the score was. Before they knew it, he had become an avid Test Match Special listener and a cricket fanatic. Just over three years ago, Ravi’s dad discovered Super 1s and immediately took to it. Ravi (now 12) loves Super 1s and Thursday nights give him so much enjoyment. It’s a club where he feels he belongs. Thanks to Super 1s he now knows that disability is no barrier, and his dream of playing for India is still alive… (although he’d take an England cap if it was on offer!)
Lucy Tillotson
Two and a half years ago, Lucy took on the role of managing and coaching an all-female disability cricket group, the ‘Adders’, for Hampshire Cricket Board – a team created for every young girl attending a Super 1s hub across Hampshire. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to provide a safe, welcoming and fun environment, growing the group considerably. Under her leadership, the Adders now benefit from regular training sessions and fixtures against women’s softball (W10) teams, giving the Adders their first experience of match play - an initiative met with enthusiasm and excitement. Lucy’s dedication to inclusive cricket has made a significant impact across Hampshire, making her an incredibly worthy Inspire award winner.
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