A TEENAGER who gives up hours of his own time to support local sports initiatives has been recognised with a national award.

Mohammed Zubair Bashir, 18, from Nelson, was put up for the Co-operative StreetGames Young Volunteer Award by staff at Pendle Leisure Trust, and he was singled out for the achievement from hundreds of other nominees.

For the last year he has helped deliver sports sessions from nursery bike riding and primary school curriculum coaching to disability sports through Pendle Leisure Centre.

He was named North West Volunteer of the Year at a special ceremony in Manchester, where judges included BBC sports editor Anna Thompson.

Zubair, who volunteers for seven hours a week, said: “I’m really happy to have won. Seeing the great work of the other nominees I didn’t think I would.

“I’m very happy that I did though and grateful to all the staff at Pendle Leisure Centre who voted for me.”

An attendee of sessions at the Pendle Sports Development Team project from the age of 10, Zubair stayed in touch and once he started college, contacted them about doing some voluntary work.

His project leader Lucy Cowgill said: “The biggest compliment we can pay to Zubair is that he is our most outstanding role model for all our coaches, volunteers and participants.”