Jason has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the provision of sporting events for disabled children in both Grenada and the UK.
The award is also in recognition of the partnership between the Jason Roberts Foundation, WINDREF and St. George’s University, which has involved many of their students in the philanthropic activities. The Honorary Degree will be presented to Jason at the School of Graduate Studies/School of Arts and Sciences Commencement Ceremony, where Jason will be the Commencement Speaker.
The Jason Roberts Foundation was formed in 2007, and in 2008 the Foundation expanded their work from not only providing able bodies with sports sessions, but also delivering sports sessions for people with disabilities. The disability programme extended to Grenada in 2010, and the Foundation started to partner with St. George’s University.
The aim of this partnership is to provide skill-sharing, support and long-term assistance to the teachers, staff and students of the three Special Educational Needs schools in Grenada that the Foundation has worked with over the last five years. Since 2012, they have in partnership hosted eight ‘Festival of Sports’ Days for children aged from 5-18 with a range of disabilities including; autism, Cerebral palsy, Downs Syndrome and other complex needs.
Jason Roberts MBE, Founder and Trustee of the Jason Roberts Foundation, said:
“I am extremely honoured to receive this Honorary Doctor on behalf of the work my Foundation has done in Grenada and the UK. Sport has a unique ability to transcend cultural and ethnic backgrounds, to motivate and to inspire.
“It gives me such pride to accept this award on behalf of all of the individuals and supporters who have given their time, resources and efforts to make other people’s lives a little bit better and I humbly accept this honourable doctorate in debt to them and my family who have supported me so much during this journey.”
Chancellor Charles R. Modica, said:
“This degree is being awarded to Mr. Jason Robert by the University in recognition of his outstanding contributions in empowering young people through sports”
Kevin Moulton, Jason Roberts Foundation’s Ambassador, Grenada, said;
“Through my almost 2 years in Grenada I have worked directly and indirectly with the organization to provide a structured Physical education structure for special needs children and several schools in Grenada.
“The work and structure that the Jason Roberts Foundation provides for the children truly took me by surprise when I first started volunteering. I was introduced to the organization when they came to Grenada and I was volunteering at the School for Special Needs in St Georges, Grenada.
“After my first experience I stayed in contact with the organization and every time that Jason and Otis came to Grenada I was eager to help out. Through personal hands on education with children and overall structure of programs, paired with the Ambassador program, the foundation provides an amazing experience for the children, volunteers and instructors alike.
“The personal education that the experience has provided for me as well as the children that this foundation impacts directly is immense. My experience through the organization will last with me forever and has provided myself with lifelong friends and a lifelong ally of the organization.”
Disabled people are known as ‘the world’s largest minority’. And it’s not by chance, the cost of living with a disability can increase household poverty, which means disability is not an issue limited to individuals. Exclusion and stigma, low incomes, and high costs of rehabilitation and care, all create a vicious circle that holds back not only individuals with impairments, but their families and children too.
There are several barriers that prevent disadvantaged young people from accessing positive sport related activities; these can range from lack of accessibility, lack of resources, discrimination and stigmatisation, a limit for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
By integrating inclusive sports sessions within our mainstream delivery, we aim to break down some of the barriers and ensure that all young people get the opportunity to participate.
