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    Heartwarming moment deaf choir wows Chelsea fans with incredible rendition of club anthem before Premier League game

    A DEAF and signing choir has wowed Chelsea fans with a heart-warming rendition of club anthem ‘Blue is the Colour’ during the side’s home game against Brentford.Deaf performance group Unify and signing choir Hands 4 Voices, took to the pitch in front of thousands of spectators at Stamford Bridge to perform the song in British Sign Language (BSL) during half-time.
    The deaf choir roused Chelsea fans as they performed the club’s anthemCredit: James Pinniger/PinPep
    Led by head chorister, Carol Cook, and with partially deaf singer James Vickery supporting on vocals, the home fans were encouraged to sing and sign the famous lyrics of the club’s anthem of 51 years.
    The performance was a celebration of the long-term partnership between the club, Cadbury Fingers and the National Deaf Children’s Society encouraging adults to learn some BSL to help make more deaf people feel included in everyday moments like football.
    Chelsea stars Conor Gallagher, Armando Broja, Lauren James, and Hannah Hampton have also learnt a little BSL, and were taught football-inspired BSL phrases, including “what’s the score?’’ and “what a goal.”
    Susanne Nowak, from Cadbury Fingers, which has launched the Sign with Fingers website so fans can emulate their heroes by learning some BSL, said: “Our goal – excuse the pun – is to bring more people together over the nation’s favourite game.
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    “This is the second year of our ‘Sign with Fingers Big & Small’ campaign, and we know there is still a lot of work to be done to improve inclusivity.
    “We felt football was the perfect medium for driving better awareness and emotional connection over shared moments between deaf and hearing people given how integral it is to British culture.
    “By teaming up with Chelsea FC and our long-term partners the National Deaf Children’s Society, we are excited to enter a new era of inclusivity both on and off the pitch.
    “And we urge everyone to learn some British Sign Language they could use as a conversation starter to facilitate more shared moments of connection.”
    Most read in Football
    It comes after research, commissioned by the chocolate biscuit brand, found 58 per cent of deaf sports fans rate football as their favourite.
    But 55 per cent feel left out of the club culture on match days – due to lack of deaf awareness.
    The poll of 250 deaf sports fans also revealed 46 per cent feel the majority of sports and fan culture is only suitable for hearing people and not inclusive for all.
    And 34 per cent often wish more was done to help those with the disability feel more included within the stadium.
    More than a third (34 per cent) often feel lonely or left out as they find it hard to interact with other fans, with 30 per cent are regularly struggling during half time to understand the on-pitch activity.
    Despite this, 93 per cent of those polled, via OnePoll.com, believe you can’t beat the thrill of watching a sporting event live in a stadium.
    It also emerged 52 per cent think hearing people find it difficult to start a conversation with a deaf person, and 54 per cent believe this due to a lack of confidence or knowledge.
    However, they would feel happier (43 per cent), more respected (37 per cent) and more included in everyday conversations (36 per cent) if a greater number of hearing people learned some BSL.
    Therefore, 47 per cent would like to see a more widespread use of British Sign Language within the sporting industry.
    And three in 10 want a better offering of inclusive experiences incorporating British Sign Language.
    This would leave 43 per cent feeling happier, 37 per cent feeling more respected and 36 per cent more included in everyday conversations.
    As part of the long-term partnership, Chelsea FC has introduced quarterly club tours with a BSL interpreter, while providing deaf awareness training and introducing BSL for beginners throughout the organisation.
    Susan Daniels, chief executive at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “We’re proud to be working in partnership with Cadbury and Chelsea FC on the ‘Sign with Fingers Big & Small’ campaign.
    “Together, we aim to raise awareness about the communication barriers deaf children and young people face and encourage more hearing people to learn some basic signs.
    “We want to see a more inclusive world so that every deaf person can be part of the conversation.
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    “We were thrilled to see Chelsea fans joining in with the choirs to sign and sing their beloved anthem.
    “Occasions like this really bring home the message that, with a little bit of effort, everyone can become more deaf-aware.”
    Stamford Bridge joined in with the performanceCredit: James Pinniger/PinPep More

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    Gold medal Paralympian Richard Whitehead hopes to inspire more disabled people to get involved in sport

    FOUR in 10 people with disabilities don’t feel confident enough to participate in sporting events, according to research.Of the 700 disabled adults polled, 30 per cent believe the events do not cater for those with additional needs.
    Richard Whitehead hopes to inspire more disabled people to get involved in sportCredit: SWNS
    And 56 per cent felt they wouldn’t be seen as a priority when it came to participating.
    Almost one in five (17 per cent) also feel they lack the support network needed to take part, while 16 per cent were held back by the cost of entering events.
    But 12 per cent feel inadequate representation in sporting events is a barrier, with 54 believing access to trained volunteers would give them the confidence required to take part in mass participation sporting events.
    To help encourage participation, Nissan GB, the official partner of the Great Run Series which commissioned the research, is working with The Richard Whitehead Foundation to help make running events more inclusive by providing support and encouragement to disabled participants.
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    Gold-medal winning Paralympian, marathon runner and Nissan GB’s diversity, equity and inclusion ambassador, Richard Whitehead, said: “Disabled people feel they aren’t confident to enter sporting events.
    “As a Paralympic athlete and distance runner, I feel it’s something we should change.
    “Whatever the race, whatever the distance, it’s always a chance to give back to the running and disability community.”
    “Growing up and throughout my career I’ve witnessed the challenges that disabled people face in order to take part in sporting events, so I’m delighted to work with Nissan GB to help remove some of these barriers.”
    Most read in Athletics
    The study found the average disabled adult exercises for a total of just under 76 minutes each week, over four sessions.
    And 39 per cent consider exercise as something they are passionate about.
    When it comes to sports they’d most like to test themselves in, swimming topped the list (22 per cent) followed by a half marathon (18 per cent).
    Others would like to take part in a grassroots or local football tournament (17 per cent) or a CrossFit event (12 per cent).
    But the study, carried out via OnePoll, found two thirds of disabled people believe there aren’t enough televised disability sporting events.
    And 53 per cent want the government to do more to encourage sporting events for people with disabilities.
    Whitehead added: “Sport should be accessible to everyone, so It’s exciting that we can pilot the Supported Runner Project at the AJ Bell Great North Run this weekend and the AJ Bell Great South Run in October, ahead of our full launch in 2024.” More

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    My son was an Arsenal academy star but now he’s severely disabled – I’m haunted by a regret that could’ve changed things

    THE heartbroken mum of a tetraplegic ex-Arsenal academy star says she is haunted by one regret that could have changed things.Daniel Cain, 23, was a fit and healthy footballer until a night out with his friends took a devastating turn.
    Daniel was a fit and healthy footballer before he suffered life-changing injuries after allegedly having his drink spiked
    The now-23-year-old’s brain and spine were starved of oxygen and he spent 25 days in a comaCredit: Gofundme
    His mum Tracey has now revealed her one regretCredit: Gofundme
    The qualified electrician’s family claim his drink was spiked and despite medical professionals’ best efforts, he now requires 24-hour care.
    The horror for Daniel’s family unfolded during the depths of Covid lockdowns.
    His mum Tracey Cain told how she wasn’t allowed to be at her son’s bedside – and thinks should she have been able to, there could have been a different outcome.
    She told The Sun Online: “Sometimes I wonder if I was able to be by his side he would have been able to come round quicker.
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    “His recovery peaked when I was in, with someone to be there for him in person, and I only wish that I could have been there from the beginning.
    “I believe being by his side and radiating that positive energy helped him.
    “It was so hard having to see my son through a screen.”
    It was June 9, 2020, when Daniel’s friends frantically called for an ambulance after noticing he looked a “funny colour” and was not responding.
    Most read in Football
    After working on the former Arsenal academy player for 24 minutes, paramedics finally got his heart beating again.
    But tragically his brain and spinal cord had been starved of oxygen.
    Doctors told the family to be prepared that even if Daniel did wake up he would be in a vegetative state.
    Then after 25 days in a coma he defied all odds and “woke up”.
    His cognitive function began to return, something mum Tracey describes as a “miracle”.
    However, she still wishes she could have been at his side.
    Tracey said: “I just knew he was in there. I knew all along, if anyone said he wouldn’t wake up I just said no.
    “Where there’s life there’s hope and we kept believing.
    “When I was able to see him when he came out of the coma he knew I was there, he stayed awake longer when I was there.”
    Tracey thanked friends, family and strangers who sent well wishes for Daniel.
    She continued: “All around the world there were people praying and sending out healing thoughts.
    ‘YOU’VE GOT THIS’
    “His father’s family are from Barbados and they were doing prayers which helped.
    “All that positive energy and focusing on good things helped me keep that faith.
    “Daniel didn’t know he was supposed to wake up but he did and I knew it all along.”
    Tracey said she set up a phone for Daniel that his friends and family could send messages on.
    She would play the recorded voice notes to him over Skype while he was in a coma.
    She said: “He’s always had good links with all his friends growing up, we were inundated with messages from people he played football with and people he grew up with.
    “It was so moving and heart-warming for everyone to come together for him.
    “He had a phone with him which was locked so we couldn’t see messages on there.
    “I had a spare phone which I used and asked people to contact that phone to call and text so he could listen to voicemail or the nurses could read out the texts.
    “We were telling him: ‘you’ve got this you can wake up’.”
    ‘TAKE EVERY DAY AS IT COMES’
    And Tracey believes that Daniel pulled through because of this.
    The mum said that her son heard his family and friends “in his dreams” while in the coma.
    She said: “We had to Skype him and I believe he was hearing that and fighting through as well.
    “We were talking about different things while he was not awake and when he woke up he recounted things that we talked about, it was astonishing.
    “When he woke up he said he had a dream of Barbados on holiday with everyone there and that’s what we had been talking about going on holiday together, it was amazing he remembered.”
    As for Daniel’s improved recovery Tracey said they were taking it slow and steady.
    She said: “Now we are just trying to go a bit further every day but not rush things.

    “We are going to take every day as it comes as a blessing.”  
    Daniel’s family are now raising money for his ongoing treatment through GoFundMe.
    Daniel now needs around-the-clock careCredit: Gofundme
    His family is now raising money for treatment in order to give him the best chance of being able to stand and walk againCredit: Gofundme More

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    F1 legend Sir Frank Williams left £14million in his will to his three children

    F1 legend Sir Frank Williams left £14.4million in his will, records reveal.The 79-year-old, who died last November, was founder of the Williams team which he sold for £136million in 2020.
    F1 legend and founder of the Williams team Sir Frank left £14m to his three children
    Williams dominated F1 in the early 1980s and the 1990s with drivers including Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna.
    Sir Frank, from Ascot, Berks, was involved in a car crash in 1986 which left him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
    Sir Frank of Ascot, Surrey, became co-founder of Frank Williams Racing Cars in 1966, using money he made from selling car parts to other motor teams.
    But his team suffered after his brewing heir driver Piers Courage died in a crash in 1970, and he ended up borrowing money from Bernie Ecclestone.
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    Sir Frank’s success was said to be in the wheeling and dealing of running a team, hiring and firing of drivers, and nurturing engineering talent.
    He was a familiar sight at grand prix races in his wheelchair, but stepped back and handed over much of the day-to-day control of the Williams team to his daughter Claire.
    He was a made a CBE in 1987 and knighted in 1999.
    Probate records reveal £14,465,456 was left to his three children after debts and funeral expenses.
    Most read in The Sun
    His wife, Virginia, died of cancer in 2013.
    His will requested that he be buried near to his former team’s premises at Grove, Oxfordshire.
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