The 10 Sussex heroes chosen to mark the 10th anniversary of the Amex stadium – the home of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club

Ten community heroes have been selected to be honoured in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Amex stadium.
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The heroes were chosen following a competition launched by American Express and Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club, calling for nominations of those who had made a significant contribution to the Sussex community over the past ten years.

Each of the community heroes has had their name stitched on a seat in the American Express Lounge and they were invited to attend the unveiling at the stadium in Falmer, hosted by American Express, and former captain and current BHAFC coach Bruno. Each community hero will also receive a pair of VIP hospitality tickets to watch Brighton and Hove Albion vs Newcastle in the Premier League on November 6.

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Graham Potter, head coach of BHAFC, said: “Honouring ten community heroes is a wonderful way to celebrate ten years of the Amex. The stories of these heroes are truly inspiring, and I’m in awe of the incredible things that they have done to support and help the community over the past ten years.”

Some of the community heroes with Bruno at the AmexSome of the community heroes with Bruno at the Amex
Some of the community heroes with Bruno at the Amex

The ten heroes are:

Colin Crowe – Purple People Food Bank volunteer, collecting and distributing food to hundreds of families in Portslade.

Jim Deans – Founder of Brighton-based Sussex Homeless Support charity, helping more than 500 individuals every week.

Gemma Kybert – Founder and charity director of Oscar’s Wish Foundation, a Sussex charity that supports parents bereaved through miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death.

The community heroes all had their names stitched on a seat at the Amex stadium in FalmerThe community heroes all had their names stitched on a seat at the Amex stadium in Falmer
The community heroes all had their names stitched on a seat at the Amex stadium in Falmer
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Colin Lyall – Founder of Say Aphasia, a Brighton-based charity that helps people with communication difficulties following brain injury.

John and Kay Price from Horsham – Working together to promote the Sussex game of stoolball for all ages and abilities.

Ian Ross – Giving underrepresented young people the chance to get into professions they would not otherwise be able to access through bespoke traineeship programmes.

Michelle Shrieves – Founder of non-profit charity Epilepsy Sussex, offering support and advice for people with epilepsy and also for their families and carers.

Brighton and Hove Albion's former captain and now coach with some of the community heroes seatsBrighton and Hove Albion's former captain and now coach with some of the community heroes seats
Brighton and Hove Albion's former captain and now coach with some of the community heroes seats
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Martin Thomas – Spearheading meditation evenings to help the community with its mental health during lockdown.

Michelle Tipper from Handcross – Fundraiser for Albion In The Community.

Sel Selvan Chelliah – Small business owner working tirelessly to donate to the homeless in the local community.

Beverly Sawyers, vice president at American Express, said: “The American Express Community Stadium is for the enjoyment of all football fans in Sussex and the wider local community, and we are delighted to be celebrating 10 years of the partnership.

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“It felt only fitting that after ten years of serving the community, we honoured some of these inspiring Heroes who have dedicated themselves to the local area. We were overwhelmed by all the remarkable stories that were shared with us, and hope that honouring these ten truly deserving individuals within the stadium is a fitting tribute to their work.”

The community heroes were chosen by a panel of judges with representatives from American Express, BHAFC and radio station More Radio.

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