UK’S 2023 KIND HERO CELEBRATED WITH STATUE OF HONOUR IN LONDON
· 20-year-old Sebbie Hall who believes kindness is his superpower is celebrated for his daily commitment to kindness
· Sebbie’s kind acts have supported over 450 families and put smiles on the faces of over 3,000 strangers in his community and beyond
· This World Kindness Day, KIND Snacks has unveiled a statue celebrating Sebbie in a bid to inspire kindness in communities
13th November 2023, London, England: Britain’s kindest person has been revealed this morning to mark World Kindness Day – and the 20-year-old from Lichfield has been honoured with a life-size statue of himself by London’s iconic Tower Bridge.
The unsung hero and inspiration, Sebbie Hall, received the incredible accolade in recognition of putting kindness above all, every day for the last three years. Just a few years into his adulthood, he has supported over 450 families and put smiles on 3,000 people’s faces.
KIND Snacks, who were behind the honouring of Sebbie with the statue, kicked off the nationwide search for the UK’s Kind Hero back in September, receiving over 500 incredible nominations. From the founder of a charity that makes young person’s wishes come true, to a lady that set up her own animal sanctuary for abused animals – the competition for the winning prize was tough.
Following an extensive judging process with a panel including last year’s Kind Hero winner, Jo Newby, Sebbie was selected for going above and beyond over the last three years and having a direct impact on his community.
The life-size likeness of 6ft tall Sebbie was produced using 3D scanning technology, printed using recycled materials and stands upon a 1-metre-tall plinth, much like the recognisable statues of historic figures across London. In true Sebbie style, the statue is donned with a cape and boasts a heroic stance symbolising his motto, “kindness is my superpower”. Sebbie also wore a cape to pose with the life-like statue when it was revealed to him earlier this morning.
At just 17, Sebbie decided to put kindness first every day – a decision he made having been helped by countless people who gave him assistance in dealing with his rare chromosome anomaly, which has caused him physical and communication difficulties since birth.
Together with his mum, they later set up The Sebbie Hall Kindness Foundation, which has donated funds in the tens of thousands to individuals, community groups and projects in his local area. The foundation focuses largely on helping vulnerable youngsters – a cause close to Sebbie’s heart.
The Lichfield local youth has performed thousands of selfless acts big and small – including donating 400 coats and blankets to homeless charities, placing candles along dog walking routes to cheer people up and gifting 800 toys to children’s homes.
Sebbie’s mum, Ahsley Hall, who accompanied Sebbie at the statue reveal commented: “We couldn’t believe it when we got the call to say Sebbie had won this prize and were even more shocked when we found out he’d been nominated several times. Kindness is second nature to Sebbie and we’re so pleased to have an opportunity to recognise the positivity that he spreads in the world.” Sebbie himself added: “Thank you, KIND. I want to make people happy inside. Kindness is my superpower… Now let’s GO and be kind.”
Sebbie, who just yesterday completed his first ever 5km race for Liberty Jamboree, a charity supporting young people with physical or learning difficulties, will be marking World Kindness Day by giving out KIND bars and cards with words of affirmation to strangers in London.
Sam Wainwright, Senior Brand Manager at KIND Snacks said: “It warmed our hearts to see the sheer volume of people selflessly devoting their time and effort to fostering kindness in their communities through our search for the UK’s 2023 Kind Hero. The scale of impact delivered by all our entries was overwhelming.
“Sebbie’s story in particular highlights the importance of kindness and its transformative power in driving positive change for others. Sebbie is a shining example of the far-reaching impact that a long-term commitment to kindness can have and it’s a pleasure to honour him with a statue for World Kindness Day.”
Actor and patron of the Sebbie Hall Foundation, Eddie Marsan, joined Sebbie and his parents at the statue reveal, adding: “Seeing such a young person complete so many selfless kind acts and having such humility is extremely commendable. It’s incredible to see others recognise this and to see Sebbie’s very own statue revealed in an iconic part of London”.
KIND Snacks is on a mission to inspire kind communities. Earlier this month KIND shared real stories of kindness on billboards across London. To find out more about their purpose and mission, visit www.kindsnacks.co.uk/kindness.
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About KIND:
Since its founding in 2004, KIND® has been on a mission to help make the world a little kinder, one snack and one act at a time. KIND was born out of its founder’s desire to create a snack that was healthy and tasty, wholesome, and convenient. What began as a line of premium Fruit & Nut bars sparked the creation of an entirely new healthier snacking category. Today, KIND has a family of snacks that offer solutions for a variety of different occasions. To learn more about KIND, visit kindsnacks.co.uk or follow along on social @kindsnacksuk.
About the statue:
The statue is being unveiled outside the Tower Hotel near London’s Tower Bridge on the 13th November, where it will take residence for a half day. The statue will then be transported to The Hub in Lichfield, where it will remain for others to admire and inspire.
