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

Volunteer Des Smith has been honored with the 2023 BBC Unsung Sports Personality 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 teams as well as netball and hockey teams.

It also offers the ACE program which supports the development of cricketers from black communities.

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

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

He now strives to improve race relations and understanding through the club, and to educate 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.

The Unsung Hero Award honors volunteers in sports who make a difference in their communities.

Also nominated are Robbie MacDonald (Scotland), Melvyn Hammer (Wales), Gareth Mawood (Northern Ireland), Megan Allen (London), Lamine Vale (South East), Terry Dennis (South), Sadie Mirren (South West), Hamsa Hassan . (West), Hannah Escott (West Midlands), Chloe Gibson (East Midlands), Rachel Hutchinson (East), Steve Atkinson (East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire), Kate O'Sullivan (North East and Cumbria), and Khadija Patel (North West).