Monthly Archives: May 2017

Kind words from the BBC

Here are some wonderful words about Shea from the people at the BBC who worked with him.

Sharon.


“This is desperately sad news. He was such an optimistic, thoughtful, mature person, and it’s so unfair that he’s died at such a young age, having already battled cancer. His outlook and philosophy on life was terrific.”
Raph

“Incredibly sad to hear about Shea, really was wonderful to have had the opportunity to meet him. As Raph says, he was so positive and very talented; the way he helped and encouraged the rest of the team was so inspiring too.”

Carrie

Open Letter in memory of Shea French-Gibbens

Shea was an inspirational young man who lived with Cerebral Palsy. I have known him since he was eight years old when he was the first member of Greenwich PFC.

Without Shea’s determination there would not be a Greenwich Powerchair football club. Ten years ago he fought to ensure disabled young people in Greenwich had the opportunity to play an exciting competitive team game.

They chose Football, Powerchair Football. It is the desire of so many young people to play the Beautiful Game, our common language. And so it was with Shea! With the support of Greenwich Council, Greenwich PFC was born!

I have so many joyous  memories of Shea. His love of playing the game.

On one of our first tournaments away in the National League, so many years ago, he said to me that it meant so much to him to go into school and talk about the goal he scored at the tournament he played in. This was for the first time. He would be just like the other boys! Incredible! Tears welled up in my eyes when I realised the difference this meant to him and all the other young people like him..

Last year he was filmed by BBC Children in Need. He said so many incredible things about what it meant to him to play Powerchair Football, to be part of the team at GPFC and how the friends he made had opened up his life! He was an inspiration to us all and so many other disabled children.

Above. Shea receives his Jack Petchey award in 2012 from the Mayor of Royal Greenwich, David Grant and Nick Raynesford MP