The Youth Sport Trust is delighted to congratulate Vicci Wells, our Assistant Director of Children & Young People, on being awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s New Year Honours 2026 for her services to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

This honour recognises Vicci’s tireless commitment, leadership and passion for creating inclusive experiences in physical education and sport. Over many years, she has been a driving force behind national change, championing children and young people who are too often marginalised and ensuring more young people can enjoy the benefits of PE, sport and play.

Throughout her 16 years with the Youth Sport Trust, Vicci has led and shaped some of the charity’s most impactful inclusion work. Under her strategic direction, Youth Sport Trust outreach such as Inclusion 2024 and the current Inclusion 2028 programme* (funded by the Department for Education), have transformed practice in schools across England. These initiatives support teachers, schools and practitioners to embed high-quality, inclusive physical activity into everyday learning, helping every child feel they can participate and find a sense of belonging, as well as supporting them to develop key life skills.

Beyond programme delivery, Vicci is widely respected as a national advocate for inclusion, using her voice and passion to influence policy, challenge inequality and highlight the life-changing impact of inclusive sport on wellbeing, confidence and belonging. Alongside her role at the Youth Sport Trust, she holds several influential positions across the education and sport sectors, including:

• MAT Trustee for over 10 years, first at Our Lady of the Magnificat MAC and now Emmaus Catholic MAC, where she also serves as SEND Link Trustee.
• Board Non-Executive Director at SnowSport England.
• Inclusivity Hub Ambassador for the Sport and Recreation Alliance.
• Board member of the England Rugby Schools Board.
• Newly appointed member of the EDI Advisory Board for GB Surfing.

Vicci said, “I’m incredibly proud that this recognition reflects the collective impact of Youth Sport Trust’s work championing inclusion for children and young people with SEND. My focus has always been on listening directly to and amplifying young people’s voices, making sure that our work has the most impact and reflects what changes young people want to see.

“Highlights for me over the years include visiting schools nationally and internationally; in particular, developing the concept of Sport Sanctuaries during and after the global pandemic and seeing schools in Northern Ireland and England adopt this approach. Additionally, supporting young leaders with intellectual disabilities at the Global Special Olympics Youth Leadership Forum in Baku, ensuring they felt empowered in their school, local community, country and globally, as well as creating opportunities for children from special schools to influence decision-making at Westminster. In both my professional and voluntary roles, I have been privileged to lead national initiatives bringing the inspiration of the Paralympic Games to thousands of children, demonstrating what is possible when inclusion sits at the heart of school sport and physical education.”

The Youth Sport Trust’s vision is a future where every child enjoys the life-changing benefits of play and sport, and it is leaders like Vicci, alongside the wider team, who are driving this forward. While this honour is a moment to celebrate progress, Vicci is the first to recognise there is still more work to do. Over the next few years through Inclusion 2028, the charity aims to work with over 8,000 schools, support more than 240,000 pupils with SEND, as well as 10,000 teachers and practitioners, see the creation of 600 inclusive after-school clubs, and offer leadership opportunities for thousands of young people, bringing sport and activity to every child who can benefit from it.

The Youth Sport Trust congratulates Vicci on this well-deserved honour. We are incredibly proud to have her as part of the Youth Sport Trust team, where she continues to inspire colleagues, partners and young people alike, as we work together to make sport and play accessible and transformative for every child.

*Inclusion 2028 is delivered by a consortium of the Youth Sport Trust, ParalympicsGB, Swim England, Activity Alliance and nasen and supported by the Association for PE and Sport for Confidence.