Putney Boy Up for Young Person of the Year Award

Chapman Shum's love of the piano helped him overcome huge challenges

Chapman Shum has been blind since birth

October 20, 2023

A blind teenager from Putney has been shortlisted for national disability award for the way in which he has used his love of the piano to overcome the huge challenges he faces.

He has been nominated as ‘Young Person of the Year’ in this year’s Sense Awards that aim to celebrate the achievements of young people with complex disabilities.

13-year-old Chapman Shum was born blind due to a rare genetic condition, and also has speech and learning difficulties but he also a huge musical talent.

Chapman cannot read music, but teaches himself pieces by listening and memorising thousands of notes. He is such an accomplished pianist that he achieved a distinction in his Grade 8 piano exam aged 11, which is the equivalent to an A-level in music.  

Chapman regularly performs public piano recitals which have helped build his confidence, but he’s often struggled to make friends. Research from national disability charity Sense shows that more than half of people with complex disabilities often or always feel lonely, compared to a quarter of the general population. 

Chapman’s isolation was such a concern for his parents, Chun and Jing, that they signed him up Sense’s virtual buddying programme, which connects people with similar interests in a bid to reduce loneliness. The charity says that this was a turning point for Chapman, who made a strong and instant connection with his new friend Gabby, 22, a volunteer on the programme. The pair have bonded over their shared love of music, with Gabby dusting off her flute after years of not playing so the pair can play music together.  

Chapman and Gabby meet online every week and engage in various activities together including arts and crafts, baking and music jamming sessions. Their most recent venture is to learn and sing the ‘Every Tube Station Song’ together, as Chapman has a fascination with the London Underground and has memorised the names of all the tube stations. 

Since Chapman begun the sessions more than a year ago, he has made huge strides in his social skills. He’s more confident expressing himself, is more open to conversations with other people, and is playing piano at music venues across the country.

Chun, Chapman’s father, said,“We are immensely grateful to the judges for recognising Chapman’s journey and shortlisting him for this prestigious award. Their acknowledgement means the world to him. We are incredibly proud of Chapman and all that he has achieved – as he embarks on this challenging journey, we hope he continues to find joy and fun in every step. No matter how difficult it may be, we want him to know that we are always by his side, cheering him on. Chapman’s unwavering determination, can-do spirit and ever-smiling face inspire us every day.” 

Sense, the national charity that supports people with complex disabilities, received hundreds of nominations for its awards this year. It was down to a team of disabled celebrities, influencers and disability activists to review the nominations and decide a shortlist of three entries for each category. These judges include singer-songwriter Alice Ella, chef and TV presenter Briony May Williams, Paralympian Siobhan Fitzpatrick, children’s author Dan White, and disabled influencer Lauren Gilbert. 

Richard Kramer, Chief Executive of Sense and judge for the Sense Awards, said,“Chapman is truly exceptional young man and I’m delighted he’s made such huge strides in his confidence and social skills since joining Sense’s virtual buddying programme. I hope Chapman feels proud being shortlisted for this prestigious award and I wish him lots of luck at the awards ceremony next month.”  

The Sense Awards, now in its 20 th year, is the charity’s annual celebration of people with complex disabilities and those in their lives that support them. There are 13 categories in total which aim to recognise the achievements of disabled people and those that support them, including carers, volunteers and fundraisers.  

Sense will be revealing this year’s winners at its awards ceremony on 23 November, which will be hosted by disabled presenter and actress Samantha Renke. You can find out more about the Sense Awards on the charity’s website: www.sense.org.uk/sense-awards.