The director of Wapping Youth Football Club has been honoured for his tireless and game-changing work in the capital with a major London Sport Award at the Guildhall on Monday night.
Nahimul Islam provided a vital service for his community in Tower Hamlets – one of the UK’s most deprived areas – and was recognised for his work in the form of Volunteer of the Year , in association with London Youth Games, at this week’s showpiece ceremony.
Having supported Marcus Rashford’s campaign, Islam took it upon himself to deliver over 600 nutritious meals to the most vulnerable members in the community at the start of the pandemic, while also delivering over 200 hours of virtual activities for members of the community to keep fit and healthy.
Islam was crowned winner of the award over Fulham Reach Boat Club’s Warren King and super-mum Adaeze Iheanacho.
And he said: “It absolutely feels surreal, it feels amazing, completely unexpected, it’s just one of those categories where you feel like it’s an award that everyone in the category deserves it.
“There are so many volunteers out there who are doing so many amazing things, but I just want to take it back to the others who have supported me, enabled me to do everything that I’ve done and believed in my vision, so it’s a win for the whole organisation.
“The London Sport Awards are super important because some of the work we do, the marketing that we get from London Sport and the award ceremony can definitely shine so much on us that attracts sponsors for us.
“New sponsors, new partners, it’s almost like free marketing, nowadays we are paying stupid money for marketing so what London Sport does through these awards is allowing us to really reach out to a lot of sponsors and a lot of donors and actually get funds in.”
Over the last five years, the annual London Sport Awards, in association with the City of London Corporation, has grown to become the biggest celebration of grassroots and community physical activity and sport in the city.
And this year’s showpiece event once again recognised, celebrated, and shone a light on the stories of the incredible individuals, groups, and organisations for their outstanding work across the capital, helping Londoners of all ages and backgrounds to be physically active.
London Youth Games CEO Andy Darby-Welsh, whose organisation sponsor the award, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to be here.
“It’s been such an amazing evening here at the Guildhall. For Nahimul to win this award is also incredible because sport doesn’t exist without volunteering and the commitment he has shown is just absolutely huge.”
The London Sport Awards, in association with the City of London Corporation, shines a spotlight on the unsung community heroes helping Londoners of all backgrounds to enjoy the benefits of physical activity and sport. Find out more about the Awards and how London Sport aims to make London the most physically active city in the world at www.londonsport.org #MakeYourMark
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