Sports Personality of the Year 2023: Des Smith wins Unsung Hero award

Unsung Hero 2023: Sheffield Caribbean Sports Club chairman Des Smith wins award

Volunteer Des Smith has been honoured with the 2023 BBC Sports Personality Unsung Hero award.

Des, 70, has been the "driving force" behind Sheffield Caribbean Sports Club since 1986.

The club is a safe haven for young people, offering five cricket teams and eight junior football sides as well as netball and hockey teams.

It also delivers the ACE programme which supports the development of cricketers from black communities.

"This is a surprise," said Smith as he collected the award. "I didn't even know I was nominated until I got a phone call to say: 'Des, we'd like to do some filming at the club.' I said: 'OK.'"

The Ecclesfield-based club, where Des is chairman, produced former England cricketer Devon Malcolm.

Des says sport helped him integrate and learn about other cultures when he emigrated to the UK from Jamaica as a 13-year-old in 1966.

"The club I'm involved in started around 1965 and it started because of the difficulties people like myself had - we loved football and cricket, but it wasn't easy in those days to work your way in and get involved in local cricket teams which were run mostly by white people," said Smith.

"I'm still involved in the club and there's people in their 80s still involved and doing excellent work. Our next target is to build a pavilion. It's falling apart, so if any sponsors want to come in that would be great!"

He now strives to improve race relations and understanding through the club, educating people in Sheffield about the importance of the Windrush generation.

England fast bowler James Anderson and 2000 Olympic heptathlon champion Dame Denise Lewis presented Des with his award at the 70th edition of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony.

The Unsung Hero award recognises the volunteers in sport making a difference in their communities.

Also nominated were Ruby McDonald (Scotland), Melvyn Hamer (Wales), Gareth Mahood (Northern Ireland), Megan Allen (London), Lamin Faal (South East), Terry Dennis (South), Sadie Merrien (South West), Hamsa Hassan (West), Hannah Escott (West Midlands), Chloe Gibson (East Midlands), Rachael Hutchinson (East), Steph Atkinson (East Yorkshire & Lincolnshire), Kate O'Sullivan (North East & Cumbria), and Khadija Patel (North West).

Football volunteer Mike Alden, who founded Park Knowle Football Club, won the award in 2022.

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