IT WAS ‘lights, camera, action’ – and a big surprise – for Bromsgrove Sporting fan and community champion Steve Hart when crew from the BBC’s One Show turned up to thank him for all the volunteering he has done during the pandemic.
He has been delivering food parcels, is a First Responder with West Midlands Ambulance Service, is a governor at Charford First School and has trained as a Samaritan, undertaking that role for the past three months.
Steve, who is a cameraman himself and runs his own business Reeltake Films, has seen his work dry up since the start of lockdown so has been doing more voluntary work than ever.
In recognition of his efforts he was nominated for the ‘big thank you’ and the celebration of his efforts was screened earlier tonight.
The BBC contacted Sporting to ask if they could film at the Victoria Ground and, in order to keep the surprise, his friend had asked Steve if he could help out with some filming for a piece on grassroots football.
Steve said: “When I got there I saw some people I knew from my film work so thought ‘this should be a really good job’.”
It was not until an introduction on a big screen – by none other than former footballer and pundit Chris Kamara – revealed the show was not actually about grassroots football, but about Steve’s amazing volunteering efforts that he realised what was happening.
He said: “I couldn’t believe all that had been done for me and how they had all kept it secret.
“I usually like to shy away from the limelight which is why I’m always behind the camera.”
After ‘Kammy’ came pre-recorded messages from family, friends, West Midlands Ambulance Service, Bromsgrove Sporting’s captain and former Leeds players who Steve is also a big fan of. And there was input from Charford First School.
He added: “They’d certainly done their research – they seemed to know everything about me.”
And modest Steve said he hoped it would highlight the fantastic Bromsgrove community, Sporting and Charford First School and all the good that was going on there.
“It’s certainly a moment I’ll never forget.”
The show is available to watch here on the BBC iPlayer.
