HULL, UK. December 15th, 2025 – Now in their third year as a Hull City Platinum Partner, Phoenix Building Systems continues to back the club’s community efforts. Most recently, they helped make International Day of Persons with Disabilities especially memorable for two young fans, Harvey and Ava.
The brother-and-sister duo are dedicated Hull City supporters. They grew up in black and amber and still attend fixtures at the MKM Stadium whenever they can. Both children live with autosomal dominant optic atrophy disease (ADOA), a rare and incurable condition that affects their vision.
Their mum, Elle, explained: “Over time, their sight starts to deteriorate, so Harvey has gone from seeing all colour to now hardly seeing any sort of colour. They can’t see sides, above, below, and they can’t see so far in front.”
Knowing how much football means to both kids, the club and Phoenix Building Systems wanted to do something special. During an open training session at the MKM Stadium, they invited the family down to meet Head Coach Sergej Jakirović, Assistant Head Coach Dean Holden and the team.
Elle added: “We got really close with Dean. For him to come over and actually speak to the kids and say, ‘Are you Harvey and Ava?’ Harvey got really overwhelmed and really emotional.
“He doesn’t speak and often holds a lot of emotions inside. The day we arrived at the stadium and actually spoke to the boys was a breath of fresh air, because I could leave him be and he could speak freely of the way he feels.”
Phoenix’s support as a Platinum Partner backs Hull City’s ongoing work to make matchdays more accessible for supporters with disabilities. With the help of Disability Supporter Liaison Officer Leanne Jensen, their experiences at games have drastically improved to better accommodate their needs.
“We spoke with Leanne to be able to move our seats across, because we were struggling as they cannot see what we can see,” said Elle. “Now, it is absolutely perfect.”
“With Ava, we forgot her ear defenders, and there were ear defenders as we walked in, and the club let us borrow them.”
Phoenix’s Commercial Director, Jayne Wilson, said: “We think a lot about accessibility and inclusivity in the modular spaces we create. Seeing firsthand how much confidence it gave Harvey and Ava when they felt supported and included was incredibly moving.”
Their mum, Elle, added: “I want to thank Phoenix so much for absolutely everything…if it wasn’t for them and Leanne, I don’t think they would have experienced anything like this.”
After entering their third year as a Platinum Partner with Hull City, Phoenix remains fully committed to backing any project that supports local families, improves accessibility for fans, and brings more people closer to the club they love.
ENDS