Dorset Demons founder was awarded BBC's Regional Unsung Hero

Terry Dennis, from St Ives, launched the Dorset Demons last year.

The wheelchair basketball team aims to give physically disabled adults who shielded during the Covid pandemic a chance to get back into the community and socialise.
 
Terry’s wife, Charlie Dennis, nominated him for the award; she said: “The award is for helping people that can’t get usually get into sports, and that’s exactly what my husband has done all his life."
 
During a training session, the BBC surprised Terry at the Dorset Demons and handed him the award.
 
He is up against 15 regional winners; the national winner will be announced at the Sports Personality show, which takes place on Tuesday, 19 December, from 7pm on BBC One live from Salford.
 
Charlie Dennis said: “It’s so nice to see that his tireless hard work is being recognised and that people agree that he’s been amazing for disability support.
 
“I am very proud of him.”

Terry became disabled as a teenager and has continued to give back to his local community through sports time and time again.

He has volunteered in wheelchair sports such as basketball, fencing and para-cycling; he also set up the Wessex Accessible Cycling Club.

Terry then set up the Dorset Demons in early 2022 after discovering no accessible basketball clubs in Dorset.

He applied for funding for the club in the summer of 2021 and succeeded in securing over £20,000 to ensure that the team members have safe and secure sports wheelchairs to compete in.

Terry said: “I was shocked to discover that I’d won.

“I have always wanted to do sport; I wanted to cycle, so I set up the accessible cycling club; I wanted to play basketball, so I set up a basketball club."

He added: “I am immensely proud that people have recognised that I have done a lot, but I also did it for myself.”