Christmas Message from our Chair {Mike} our President {Colin} and our secretary {Paul}
With the festive season firmly upon us, we would like to wish everyone involved with the South Yorkshire Ability Counts League a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful, safe New Year.
It’s been another really successful calendar year for our League. We won three prestigious awards at the Sheffield and Hallamshire County FA Grassroots awards, including League of the Year 2022/3, and we enjoyed attending the presentation night at Hillsborough where Dooley’s coach, Nathan Pearson took a well-deserved honour of his own.
Mike’s richly-deserved award reflected great credit on the League as a whole. Our reputation continues to grow, and this season we have welcomed four new clubs into the League. We now have over 650 registered participants across three Divisions, and each matchday is well supported by families and carers.
In the summer, Barton’s Sophie Bartup was invited to the King’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, and Lady Jo Newby and husband Chris, also from Barton, attended the Westminster Abbey carol service at the request of the Prince of Wales.
After two highly successful Christmas fundraisers in support of local foodbanks, the Committee decided to run a campaign to raise funds for the outdoor areas at Ryegate House, a respite care centre at Sheffield Childrens Hospital, this Christmas. The campaign has been hugely successful to the extent that Committee has decided to run the fundraiser into January’s Juniors matchday in Doncaster.
You can find out more, including the link to our Just Giving site, at www.southyorkshireabilitycountsleague.com
At this time of year, we’d like to thank everyone who contributes so much to the success of the League; our fantastic coaches, referees, supporters, venues and sponsors; to Margaret, who does such a fabulous job with our website; and to the Committee, who do so much behind the scenes to make our matchdays as safe and successful as they are; and of course to our players who give so much in every game.
Thanks to you all. Have a great Christmas and get ready for the second half of the season in 2024.
Mike & Colin & Paul
Deserved recognition for Barton’s Jo and Chris
Any South Yorkshire Ability Counts League players or coaches tuning in to ITV’s “
This Morning” programme will have recognised a popular member of our family,
Lady Jo Newby from Barton Inclusive FC.
This follows hard on the heels of the invitation Lady Jo and her husband Chris
received to the Royal Carol Service earlier in December and covered here at
http://www.southyorkshireabilitycountsleague.com.
We wanted to know a little more about the Service and the TV appearance, so we
asked Jo to explain the background.
“Chris and I were invited to the Royal Carol service at Westminster Abbey earlier this
month (to be aired on ITV , Christmas Eve , 7.45pm) in recognition for our services
to the children and young people of Hull and East Riding, “ Lady Jo explained. “
Launched at the beginning of 2023, The Princess of Wales’s “Shaping Us” campaign
highlights the work people put in to secure positive outcomes for young children. The
Princess filled the Abbey with members of the voluntary sector, midwives, nursery
workers and foster carers. As foster carers for 20 years Chris and I have given a
home to 100 babies and children. ”
Lady Jo explained the connection between their fostering and their involvement in
Disability football. “One of the children we fostered, Kasper was the catalyst for us
becoming involved in BIFC Hull. He wanted to play competitive football. We both
became volunteers at BIFC to support Sophie and the other coaches to ensure him
and many others could access this valuable sports provision locally. ”
“ The service at Westminster was an incredible day and we both felt really honoured
to represent not only our fostering comrades but everyone else who gives their time
to make sure football happens in our region for those who might otherwise be
excluded. ”
Turning to the “This Morning” appearance, Jo clearly enjoyed the morning. “Today I
was invited on to ITV’s “ This Morning” to talk about the Carol Service and our role as
foster carers, ” she recounted. “ It was a brilliant experience! I was treated like a star
and got to meet Gyles Brandreth, Rylan, Josie and Father Christmas! ”
“ The highlight of the morning however, was getting fashion advice from celebrity
chef Phil Vickery – who I mistook for a wardrobe assistant! ”
Congratulations again to Lady Jo and Chris; deserved recognition for two decades of
fostering and their fantastic contribution to disability football.
South Yorkshire Ability Counts League 