Five extraordinary athletes turned ambition into reality, thanks to direct support from the CSSC Community Lottery. By breaking down financial barriers in sports as varied as deaf golf, powerlifting, wheelchair tennis, and roller derby, the CSSC funding provided vital equipment, travel and training support needed for these competitors to chase and achieve their sporting dreams.
Open to members and friends and family of the CSSC community, the funding covers three areas including: CSSC Financial Support, Disability, and Elite Sponsorship Fund. Powered by people across the public sector and civil service, CSSC’s Community Lottery Fund was created by the leading public sector and civil servant wellbeing membership group to help its members on their athletic journeys by providing financial support.
Five recipients of the funding have shared their sporting success stories, the barriers they’ve overcome, and how the funding changed the game for them.
Catherine Shamel, head of applicant engagement at Criminal Cases Review Commission and European powerlifting champion
“When I think of CSSC I think of an organisation which cares a great deal about getting people to be active.”
Despite facing a potentially life-changing diagnosis that threatened to put her powerlifting career on hold, sheer determination and passion saw CSSC member Catherine Shamel back on the platform just six months after receiving the news. Refusing to give up on the sport and community she loved, she channelled her passion into an extraordinary comeback, winning back-to-back European Championships, securing the English title, and representing Team England at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships in South Africa.
To help fuel her momentum, Catherine applied for the CSSC Elite Sponsorship Fund in March 2025. The funding provided vital support for specialised equipment and training, ultimately paving the way to her crowning achievements: taking home a Bronze medal for Team GB at the World Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championship in Norway and capturing the title of British Bench Champion 2026.
Caroline MacDonald, Assistant Director at Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and British Wheelchair Tennis Champion 2019
“I’ve actually really relaxed back into the competitions and found that my results are better than ever, so it’s a great time in my 50s to achieve my highest ever world ranking.”
Caroline always loved sport, but after a spinal injury she found herself feeling lost and alone in a world she now had to adapt to. Thankfully, she soon found wheelchair tennis, which gave her a new lease of life and a community which truly reflected her and her life experience.
The support from the CSSC Community Lottery Disability Fund allowed Caroline to get back into competitive wheelchair tennis after some time off by providing training and new equipment. It didn't take long for Caroline to achieve her highest ever world ranking - something she didn’t expect in her 50s.
Robbie Bowie-Cameron, Team Leader at Developing the Young Workforce and Golf Deaflympian
“On the last day on the 18th green, my boys ran up to me and gave me a hug...the sheer emotion of preparing for the event and seeing how proud they were set me off. It was a magical moment.”
Being a Deaflympian was so far beyond Robbie’s wildest dreams that when the opportunity came along to compete in the golf Dealympics in Japan for Team GB, he knew he had to grab it with both hands.
Having lived with hearing loss since his early teens, Robbie applied for Disability Support Funding from CSSC. The money received allowed Robbie to not only adapt and improve his game through one-to-one, top quality training, but also to feel prepared and ready to travel over 9,000 miles to the biggest deaf golf championship in the world, and the game of his lifetime.
Steph Schneider Wyant, Hampshire Council architect and Team GB American Footballer
“Knowing it came from the wider CSSC organisation and members really makes me feel part of a bigger whole”
Steph discovered American Football in university and it quickly became a new passion that provided not only a physical and mental test, but a vibrant community and a surge in personal confidence. That newfound love quickly propelled her to a national level, earning her a selection for Team GB.
One of the biggest American Football games Steph would play would be in the European Championship in 2023, but to make it there, she needed support to get the right travel kit and equipment. After applying to the CSSC Community Lottery’s Elite Sponsorship Fund, she secured the crucial backing needed to compete, and ultimately bring home a silver medal.
Tom Halsall, CSSC linked member & Team GB Roller Derby
“I’m incredibly thankful for CSSC and for my mum’s CSSC membership, if she didn’t have it I would have had a far worse time preparing, getting funding for, and participating in the Junior Roller Derby in Australia.”
In July 2025, Tom Halsall, a 17-year-old from Sheffield, strapped on his skates and helmet and rolled onto the tracks at the Junior World Cup in Australia, and soon after was named as part of the official Team GB Roller Derby squad.
This moment was made possible thanks to the CSSC Community Fund Elite Sponsorship Funding, which Tom was able to access through his mother’s CSSC membership.
The grant allowed Tom to purchase essential skate and protective equipment, uniform and clothing, as well as training, coaching and nutrition sessions - all vital for preparation as his training volume increased in the build-up to the competition.
CSSC provides financial assistance to members with disabilities or those experiencing financial difficulties via the Disability Support Fund and the Financial Support Fund.
You can learn more about the funding available on the CSSC website.