The Leader of Nottingham City Council has congratulated a Nottingham man after he scooped a national television award for his community work.

Volunteer Keiren Thompson has been named the BBC’s Get Inspired Unsung Hero at the Sports Personality of the Year Awards 2019.

Mr Thompson runs community project Helping Kids Achieve which provides sport sessions for children in Bulwell, Bestwood and St Ann’s. The 31-year-old was inspired to get involved after being attacked at a house party when he was 17.

He wanted to try to stop similar situations from occurring in the future and, after spending time working in a children’s home and volunteering in Ghana, he returned to Nottingham to begin helping out in his local area.

Basing himself at Bulwell Riverside joint service centre, in Main Street, Mr Thompson now runs four sessions each week and has set up a weekend basketball team. Helping Kids Achieve also encourages youngsters to volunteer and take up leadership roles themselves.

He has plans to expand the basketball club, introduce new sessions on creativity, design, music and dance, plus workshops on employment skills, tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.

Councillor David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “I’d like to offer my congratulations to Keiren on behalf of the Council. His work is well known to a number of us and he is making a real difference in our communities.

“Receiving such a prestigious national award is testament to his efforts to improve these areas for local people, and it shows the rest of the country what fantastic, selfless people we have in Nottingham.

“Keiren suffered an awful experience when he was attacked as a young man, and many people would not have been able to respond in such a positive way. He now pours his time and energy into educating youngsters and is clearly a role model in their eyes.

“He is well known to my colleagues who serve as ward councillors in Bulwell and they speak of his inspirational work. Keiren is someone who Nottingham can be very proud of.”

Anyone interesting in working with Kieren to make a positive difference to young people in Nottingham can contact him at www.helpingkidsachieve.org.uk, www.facebook.com/Helpingkidsachieve1 or email helpingkidsachieve1@gmail.com