Sir Mo Farah hands national award to Wolverhampton school pupil

During National School Sports Week, aspiring footballer Dampha gave up his spare time to officiate and support various activities at Heath Park school.

A refugee from Gambia, his story is described as ‘one of resilience, passion, and the power of sport to unite communities’ by organisers Youth Sport Trust.

Having lost both parents at a young age and travelling to the UK, he said: “Since then, my dream has been to be a football player. Sport, I like it – running, everything.

“But my main dream is to become a football player, because many people tell ‘you are good at football.’”

He won the award at the Young Changemaker Awards 2024 where Sir Mo Farah CBE, Luke Greenbank, Shaunagh Brown and Hannah Cockroft OBE presented awards alongside host Radzi Chinyanganya.

Farah said: “The young changemakers that we celebrated today are at the forefront of creating change within their communities and it’s been such an honour to celebrate them today.

“Alongside Youth Sport Trust, I want to continue to make a personal difference and give children the chance and opportunities they deserve.

“If we don’t start now, then when do we start?”

On winning the award, Dampha said: “It does feel so amazing because I never had something.

“Since the day they told me this, I was like ‘wow’ – because it's never happened.

“I’ve never have this kind of news in my life. It's a first time, so makes me feel good. Gives me more confidence to do what I want to do.”

Ali Oliver MBE, Youth Sport Trust chief executive said: “These young people are shining examples of the power of play and sport to change lives and significantly the role Young changemakers can have on the world.

“Whether as role models, influencers or activists they are helping create the change their generation wants to see in the world.”

The same day, Farah delivered an open letter to the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, which pushed for a new national plan to ensure every child has the opportunity to be active every day.

Co-signatories include triple Olympic champions Max Whitlock OBE and Adam Peaty OBE, the most successful British Paralympian of all time, Dame Sarah Storey, and Paris gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson.