Sailing supergran takes home BBC Unsung Hero award

Jean Paton was recognised for her four decades of volunteer work at Salterns Sailing Club in Lymington

A 90-year-old sailing club volunteer has won the 2024 BBC Sports Personality Unsung Hero of the Year.

Jean Paton received the award at a ceremony in Salford in recognition of her four decades of work at Salterns Sailing Club in Lymington.

The club is run by children with the support of adult helpers and trains young people develop their sailing and life skills.

Ms Paton first won BBC South's Unsung Hero Award, after she was nominated by the sailing club's 17-year-old commodore.

She has now received her award in person at during the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year awards 2024.

Talking to Ms Paton after she received the award, presenter and former footballer Alex Scott, said she was "a hero to so many".

Asked what it meant to her to still be teaching children out on the water, Ms Paton said: "I find it brings out their enthusiasm, they're friendly it's something they can do, it just makes them happy."

Her advice to anyone considering volunteering was: "Go ahead and try because there's always that child that needs your abilities."

During her time at Salterns, Ms Paton has helped more than 800 children learn to sail.

Team GB Olympian Hannah Snellgrove is among the hundreds who learned to sail at Salterns.

She previously described Ms Paton as "formidable", adding: "You wouldn't argue with her - because she's always right - and she's just the most fun, amazing person."

Ms Paton said her trophy was "amazingly heavy, but gorgeous", joking she'd need a trophy cabinet for Christmas.

"It was a lot of people about, I've done a tiny bit of public speaking but not quite so many," she said.

"It's just a total surprise, it's so kind of Salterns to propose me, they're such a lovely bunch of kids."

The Unsung Hero arrived at the awards night with her son Rory and granddaughter Alex and said she'd never been on a red carpet before - but joked she'd "had red carpets at home".

Her granddaughter Alex said she was "so proud" and couldn't believe she'd ended up on stage alongside her Granny.

She added: "That was amazing. I wasn't expecting that I thought I'd be ushered off but that was really cool, so many famous people on the stage tonight and Granny was one of them."

Ms Paton's son, Rory, added: "Her eyes are really sparkly it's lovely, just amazing. She's just a force of nature.

"Not a dry eye in the house from where I was sat."

Jean Paton arrived at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards with her son and granddaughter