Toby Richardson
In June of 2021, Toby faced a life-altering diagnosis of cancer. Toby’s cancer is a type of cancer that makes him predisposed to growing cancer tumors in his spinal cord. This led to a spinal cord injury and the sudden transition into life as a wheelchair user. At just 11 years old, Toby could have let that be the end of his sports career. Instead, it became the beginning of something extraordinary.
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Once Toby left the hospital, we searched for sports for Toby to try. He started out with rugby and adapted to that very quickly. He even managed to get on to the GB development team.
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Toby’s passion for sport didn’t stop there!
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After a zoom call with world re-noun Nathan Maguire and Toby seen his Paralympic gold medal, he knew at that point he wanted one.
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We found a local club for Toby to try out wheelchair racing. Fast forward to 2025, Toby became a para-athlete and in that time, he rose to become one of the top wheelchair racers in the country, and internationally, for his age category. Toby also competes against adults and is ranked very high in that category. His story is not just about resilience; it’s about redefining what’s possible.
In a short span, Toby has competed and excelled in national and international meets, often going up against athletes with far more experience, age and resources. Despite the challenges from adapting to a new way of life, competitions and travel, he continues to show up, race hard, and inspire everyone who watches him.
Wheelchair racing is not just a sport. It’s a lifeline, a passion, and a platform to show the world what determination truly looks like.
Toby holds Welsh and English National champion titles and will defend these titles now at senior levels due to his ever decreasing times on the track. Toby also holds London mini Marathon U17 wheelchair racer champion title which he won in 2025 and will continue to defend until he is 18 years old.
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As Toby’s career accelerates, so does the need to travel to compete at the highest levels. But unlike many able-bodied athletes, para-athletes often receive less visibility, sponsorship, and structural support. This is why we are so grateful for Steve Tallboys foundation. They have allowed Toby to travel to competitions he could only dream of and it’s because of them toby can one day reach his dreams of representing team GB in the Paralympics in the future.
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Behind every great athlete is a community that believes in them. With Steven Tallboys Foundation it’s a statement that they believe in inclusion, excellence, and the human spirit.
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With their support Toby is not just a top-tier athlete racing for medals, they have becoming part of his journey that will inspires thousands of other disabled children that their dreams can come true.
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Thank You, Steven Tallboys! Let’s cross the finish line together!
Swimming Sponsorship
A mother contacted the charity as she was going through difficult time with a relationship. To give the children some continuity and fun she reached out to the Steve Talboys foundation to see if we could support in anyway. Her four children loved to swim and she wanted them to continue to learn a valuable life skill.
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With the help of STF they were able to support the children with their swimming fees and we had some great feedback ‘swimming has given them some think positive, stable, and empowering. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done, it means so much. It's been incredible and I am so grateful for your kindness.’
Swimming Sponsorship
A mother contacted the charity as she was going through difficult time with a relationship. To give the children some continuity and fun she reached out to the Steve Talboys foundation to see if we could support in anyway. Her four children loved to swim and she wanted them to continue to learn a valuable life skill.
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With the help of STF they were able to support the children with their swimming fees and we had some great feedback ‘swimming has given them some think positive, stable, and empowering. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done, it means so much. It's been incredible and I am so grateful for your kindness.’
James Watson – PE Lead Heathfield Junior School - Cricket Clubs
We are so grateful to the Steve Talboys Foundation for allowing us to go into local state primary schools, deliver cricket sessions and signpost children to our local club Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club.
The funding has allowed me to visit 8 separate schools, so far, and reach over 1500 pupils - for many this is their very first taste of this traditionally elitest sport. Your incredibly generous donation has enabled us to breakdown barriers, with over 70% of our girls section pupil premium and free schools meals children.
Our half term camps have been targeted at free school meals children and we have given them a real cricket academy experience where the children receive high class coaching, an introduction into nutrition, an introduction into sport psychology and experience strength and conditioning sessions.
On April 25th this year with thanks to your sponsorship, we hosted a cricket tournament for 31 state school primary teams and over 250 children. Michelle Talboys and ex England and Middlesex fast bowler Angus Fraser attended to give speeches and hand out the trophies. This was the first of its kind cricket tournament for state school primary schools to enter year 3 and 4 teams!
There have a number of successes on the field due to the funding:
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Winners of the Mason Cup (Heathfield first state school to win this)
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Finalists of the Capital Kids Cup (Mixed cricket – never has a school in our borough reached
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Finals Day at Lord’s let alone be runners up at Lord’s)
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Girls team are through to Finals Day for the Surrey Smash it u11s
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We had two girls through to the second stage of Middlesex County Trials
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One girl in the Richmond Borough London Youth Games Team
We have further camps planned, with masterclasses from current and former professionals.
An indoor tournament/competition during the winter – the first of its kind in our borough.
I have spoken at our borough’s headteachers forum, where all the local school leaders meet, to wax lyrical about the work we are doing in conjunction with the STF.
As state school cricket is dying Heathfield and HWRCC are bucking the trend with the help of STF.
“In a fair world, this unmanufactured vision of joy should just be left to be. Yet this is a state school in 2025, in an economically disadvantaged area of England, playing cricket, and the cricket is good.
Such a thing cannot exist on its own terms, and perhaps it never could. Dominic Spray, Head of Junior Cricket at HWRCC, “I personally cannot think of a cricketing project which has had a bigger ​impact per pound than what James has done at Heathfield,” he said.” Phil Walker editor of Wisden.
This is a passage taken from a book soon to be published this summer.
Mike Roberts YMCA
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'It has been great to partner with the Steve Talboys foundation over the last couple of years. The funding we have received has allowed children aged 7-14 years who are in receipt of Free School Meals access to our Holiday Football camps. This has opened up structured footballing activities for families who may not normally have the financial means to access our holiday provisions.
The benefit to the children who have attended has been huge allowing them to attend with peers & to make new friends who share a common bond over football. This has also allowed those vital social interactions with peers to continue over the holiday period within a fun & inclusive environment.
The funding on our holiday football camps has opened up avenues for the children to develop their football further with us & for a handful of the girls attended to progress into our grassroots girls football programme & teams. Without access to this funding this would not be possible.
The foundation with it's funding has also provided one of our centres with a life saving de-fibrillator, a huge benefit to our centre users & the local community. Fortunately, this has not been used but provides a piece of mind for that eventuality.
A big thank you to the Steve Talboys Foundation & we hope the partnership continues for years to come'
