Member's statement: Kevin Sinfield: 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge
Member's statement by Mr Robbie Butler on .
- MLA
- Mr Robbie Butler
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 3 December 2024
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Kevin Sinfield: 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4690717
Read the official Assembly record
Text
What date is it? It is 3 December. May I wish you a happy Christmas, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker? I am a Christmassy type of person, but I often have to catch myself on when December starts and I play my Christmas music and get really happy, because the reality for many people across the world is that they have illness or sickness, and, for them, Christmas can be a really challenging time. I am not sure whether you were listening to the radio this morning, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Kevin Sinfield, the Leeds Rhinos legend, is visiting Belfast today to raise awareness of motor neurone disease. Obviously, motor neurone disease affects people globally. Here in the UK, around 5,000 people a year are diagnosed and live with motor neurone disease. It is a debilitating and, ultimately, painful disease for those who have it and the families who support them. Kevin and the Leeds Rhinos team have taken on a challenge. I think that this is their third year. Last year, they were in Dublin. Today, they are in Belfast. It is the 7 in 7 in 7 challenge. Over seven days, they are running 7 kilometres in seven regions and trying to do each 7 kilometres in an hour. I think that they are called ultramarathons. I know how hard it is to run 5 kilometres, never mind 7 kilometres. The team are doing it with a team of volunteers to raise awareness and, hopefully, money to combat what is a dreadful disease that affects far too many people. When I worked in Springfield Road fire station many years ago, in the early 2000s, there was a very fit, popular and good firefighter who, in his early forties, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Sadly, he lost his battle after three or four years. We know that, often, it can be lonely for people with the disease, but a team of people in the Motor Neurone Disease Association will walk those steps with those who suffer and their families and support them on their journey. That is really important. What we can do is face into the challenge that affects those people. We can support them, raise awareness, hope and pray and put finances and resources towards, perhaps, one day, achieving a cure for that dreadful disease. I put on record my thanks and, I am sure, the thanks of the Chamber to Kevin Sinfield for what he is doing in memory of his Leeds Rhinos teammate Rob Burrow. To all who are navigating their lives with motor neurone disease, I say this: we see you, we hear you and we will support you in your battle.
448 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.10 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.93 |
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.05 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:41 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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