One of the founding trustees of the John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation, Geoff Beck, presented a bursary award to Adam Sevenoaks of Weymouth.

The money will assist Adam in competing at the Powerchair Football competitions in Nottingham during 2023.

Adam is a keen player, and has been playing for 8 years now, primarily with the Wessex Warriors, who then became AFC Bournemouth Warriors. Jordan Hayter, Bournemouth’s Disability coach, also supported Adam’s application.

Adam said that he was honoured to receive the award as it will allow him to play the sport he loves and play for the club that he supports.

His Mum and Dad added “As parents we are extremely proud of Adam’s determination to achieve his goals and would like to thank the charity for their support.”

Geoff had a good chat with Adam and his parents, and learned a lot about the challenges that Adam faces, and noting that his determination has seen him through achieving his Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award and nearing completion of his Silver Award.

Geoff said, “I was so impressed, as were all the trustees, with Adam’s resilience in the face of a set of difficult circumstances that he battles through, with sheer grit and determination. On that basis alone, Adam is a worthy recipient of the Foundation’s assistance which was set up to help youngsters who do push themselves that bit extra in the face of adversity. When I met Adam, I was hugely impressed with his cheerfulness, despite his disability, and is on a clear mission to participate in sport as much as any able-bodied player. Sport should be open to all, regardless of physical or mental status and it is well accepted to be a great improver in helping people progress their confidence, skills and overall health.”

The charity wishes Adam the very best in his participation at the Powerchair events, and look forward to hearing updates on his progress.

We would like to thank the Dorset Echol and Andy Martin for this fabulous article which appeared on 17th February.