Impact Statements
Meet our Grant Recipients
Josie Johnson, Para Swimmer
Thanks to the support of #AllForJoe I joined 12 para athletes at a gala in Swansea.
The whole team got to experience travelling down together, staying together, eating together. We all supported each other during the gala and we had lots of great swims, with some fantastic pbs. While we all worked hard at the pool, we also got to have some social time at the hotel, enjoyed playing games and got to have some time on the beach (when it wasn’t raining).
It was a very different experience to the isolation that I felt when doing trips with school. I hope I will get the opportunity to do another trip and hopefully next time I won’t be so scared of what might happen.
Thank you #AllForJoe for your support, it has meant a lot.
Sid Roskilly, Para Swimmer
Dear #allforjoe
I wanted to say a huge thank you for awarding me with the allforjoe grant which allowed me to attend the Richmond Dales trip to the Aquatics GB Winter meet in Swansea and take part.
Your kindness and generosity allowed me to not only swim with other para swimmers but to swim alongside elite athletes who are world champions and Paralympic athletes.
It was an incredible experience and helped me massively with my independence and confidence. I had chance to spend some time with some very inspirational athletes.
This is the first time I have been away from home without parents to a meet like this and it really pushed me out of my comfort zone as I was really nervous.
I had a really successful meet and made it onto the reserve for the 400m free final. We all gave it our absolute best and hope we made Joe proud. He was with us the whole weekend.
Thank you again for your amazing support and giving me this opportunity it really is truly appreciated.
Isla Brown, Para swimmer
Isla received funding to attend gb winter aquatics para nationals in Swansea with her swim club.
She had an incredible weekend of racing. 3 out 4 races she got pb’s. In one event her 400 free she managed a 32 second pb!
Not only was the swimming a success for her she meet a few paralympians and also got introduced to a Welsh swimmer Lily Rice who has the same condition as her.
What this finding meant to Isla was for her to not only attend the gala but she felt like she had a little of Joe with her support her for the weekend. She hopes she has made him proud since getting classified
Thank you so much for your support
Lucy Scott, Para swimmer
The grant we received allowed my daughter Lucy who has cerebral palsy and a learning disability to attend a swimming gala in Swansea with her swim team and coaching staff.
What an amazing opportunity and so many lessons and skills learned being away from home without family and being with her team for 5 days.
Lucy achieved a 10 second pb in the 100 backstroke event so that made her smile very much.
Thank you all very much for providing these opportunities for our young people your making a big difference to peoples lives never forget that.
Thank you
Lynsey & Lucy Scott
Tyler Clark, Para swimmer
The allforJoe grant was used to help fund our son, Tyler Clark, attend the Swansea GB aquatics gala. Like Joe, Tyler has been swimming for a long time, starting lessons at the age of 4. However, he didn't join a competitive team until the age of 12. Unfortunately, due to little understanding of special needs, Tyler's swim club didn't support Tyler and gave up on him. It was hard enough trying to fit in with his peers, without having no support from his coaches. As a family we then supported Tyler to get his S14 classification.
That's when we found Richmond dales, in June 2024, and everything changed. From there, his swimming has went from strength to strength hitting PBs in nearly every race. Because Tyler had someone supporting him he even made Winter Nationals.
Then the opportunity for Swansea came up. Where Tyler had the chance to meet and swim against team GB and most importantly his idol William Ellard, who he actually raced against in some of his swims and in the lane next to him. The money from the grant supported Tyler to have this opportunity. The money was not only used for the gala but also transport, hotel and the cost of food.
Even though Tyler never had the pleasure of meeting Joe, he often speaks and asks questions about him to his team mates. Tyler had told me that when he was at Swansea, he was stood on the platform and preparing to swim. He thought to himself, this one is for you Joe, and of course he got a PB!
As a family we are so grateful for the grant and will carry the all for Joe charity with us wherever we go.
After all he was and always will be part of our team!
Thank you, we will be forever grateful, The Clark family.
Andrew Hill, Beamish Golf
Another grant helped provide inclusive golf sessions where people with disabilities were able to try golf for the first time.
“Using specialist equipment and expert coaching, barriers that once existed simply disappeared, allowing people of all disabilities their first experience of a sport that had always felt out of reach. Allowing participants to realise their potential, enjoy learning new skills, working as part of a team to support each other and to participate in meaningful activity as an equal.”
Sophie Bartup, Disability Cricket
We also helped fund adapted cricket sessions for young people with disabilities.
“These sessions have created a safe space with structured opportunities for young people with disabilities to be active, build confidence, develop social connections and feel part of a team.
The #AllforJoe Grant has made a measurable impact for an underserved age group and has helped remove the physical, social and financial barriers that currently prevent people with disabilities to participate in sport.
The grant we received has also enabled us to invest in developing our volunteer coaches through training, mentoring and safeguarding qualifications, ensuring the highest quality, safest and most inclusive cricket experience for all participants.”
Lois & Aria MacGillivray Dwarf Sport Association Athletes
Two individuals with dwarfism had the opportunity to attend the Dwarf Games, a national sporting event designed so people with dwarfism can compete equally.
But the financial barriers were simply too high.
Here is how the Grant will benefit…
“ The funds will be used to pay for accommodation, travel and entry to the games. Both myself and my daughter are disabled and due to the high care needs we have, my husband had to give up work to care for us – this has financially caused huge restrictions on social activities, as any activities we wish to participate in are not suitable for us to get involved in, so we are often turned away or sign posted to events far and wide, which we simple cannot afford, and often still feel very excluded and have limited participation.
We were able to attend the Dwarf games 2 years ago by setting up a go fund me page as this was the only way we could afford to go. Attending the games hugely improved my mental health and I finally felt proud that we were able to take our daughter to a weekend full of inclusive activities, where she was able to compete using adaptive equipment, to enable inclusion and be part of a team where she, and I finally felt equal and respected.
We have tried to save up to attend this event last year but the costs of travel, accommodation, care support and accessibility costs meant attending the games were impossible.
We applied to #AllforJoe to help us try and attend the games this year. It is so important that we are able to be included in such an inclusive event. Our Daughter is so excited to attend and be part of something that will remind her, and myself that we matter, and that with some modifications, support and kindness, that anything is possible.”
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