Disability Snooker Academy cues up expansion after receiving National Lottery funding

A family snooker academy in Sheffield that gives disabled people the chance to pick up a cue and discover a passion for the sport has been awarded almost £20,000 in National Lottery funding.

Stephen Harrison Academy has been awarded the grant by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, to more than double its adult group to 200 members, and develop a new generation of snooker stars.

The social enterprise is one of 246 charities and community groups across Yorkshire and Humber to have been awarded almost £17 million from The National Lottery Community Fund over the last three months*.

It was also announced that over £144 million has been distributed to almost 2,500 organisations across England in the same period.

Since starting in 2007, Stephen Harrison Academy has become a hotbed for snooker talent, helping to develop paraplegic players such as Gary Swift, who is currently World Ability Snooker Champion in the paraplegic classification, and Reece Matin, 21, who has autism and is the current World Amateur Disability Snooker Champion, winning Gold in April this year.

As well as being a training ground for future talent, the academy has also welcomed some of snooker’s biggest names, including three times World Champion Mark Williams, and “The Whirlwind” Jimmy White, who have hosted a number of exhibitions and coaching sessions.

Stephen Harrison was inspired to start up the academy by his dad Ray Harrison, who was the 1985 Paraplegic World Snooker Champion, winning the much-coveted Gold Medal.

Stephen said: “My dad was an inspiration to many wheelchair players; he taught many people who have spinal injuries at the old Lodge Moor Hospital. I travelled around the world with him when I was a kid, to countries including Malta, Denmark and Iceland, to grow the sport of snooker by teaching people how to hold a snooker cue and learn a new sport.”

When his dad passed away, Stephen was determined to continue his legacy and pass on his passion for disability snooker by opening the academy, and is currently campaigning for the sport to return to the Paralympics.

Stephen said: “Snooker was Dad's life and is my life now. Dad taught me how to play, and I made my first century at 11 years old. I played professionally for over a decade and when my Dad died, I knew I had to do something to continue his work and get more and more people with disabilities to take up the wonderful sport of snooker.”

One person that is set to benefit from the new funding is Trevonte (Trev) who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. He attends monthly parent/carer sessions at the academy with his mum. Working with him one to one, the academy provided Trev with a cueing aid which he can drop his cue onto and play with while sitting in his wheelchair.

Stephen said: “As soon as Trev gets through the door, he wants to get his cue out to play with the rest of his mates. The more he plays, the better he gets. He is now building strength in his arms, as well as improving his fine motor skills.

“I think its brilliant how Trev has found a sport for life, and he can now play to a good level with the assistance of our trained staffed members. We are so happy Trev has found our club.”

“Thank you to The National Lottery Community Fund and National Lottery players for this grant. This will ensure more people will be able to take up the sport of snooker and benefit from our wonderful service.”

Joe Dobson, Head of Regional Funding, Yorkshire and Humber, said: “Stephen Harrison Academy is a fantastic organisation that is helping disabled people find a new sporting passion, as well as make friends, build up their self-confidence and generally improve their quality of life.

“One of our four key missions is to help people achieve happier and healthier lives, and we know that community organisations like this that bring people together for the good of society can have a hugely positive impact.”

Date published: 15 October, 2024
Region: England (Yorkshire and the Humber)

Notes to Editors

* These figures are for funding awarded from 28^thJune 2024 – 29^th September 2024.

About The National Lottery Community Fund 

We are the largest non-statutory community funder in the UK – community is at the heart of our purpose, vision and name.

We support activities that create resilient communities that are more inclusive and environmentally sustainable and that will strengthen society and improve lives across the UK.

We’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to work closely with Government to distribute vital grants and funding from key Government programmes and initiatives.

As well as responding to what communities tell us is important to them, our funding is focused on four key missions, supporting communities to:

1. Come together

2. Be environmentally sustainable

3. Help children and young people thrive

4. Enable people to live healthier lives.

Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, we distribute around £500 million a year through 10,000+ grants and plan to invest over £4bn of funding into communities by 2030. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. Since The National Lottery began in 1994, £47 billion has been raised and more than 670,000 individual grants have been made across the UK - the equivalent of around 240 National Lottery grants in every UK postcode district.

Reaching Communities England

Offers a larger amount of funding (over £20,001) for projects that last up to five years. We’re looking for projects that work with their community – whether that’s a community living in the same area, or people with similar interests or life experiences.