Joe Sargison, director of South Nottingham College’s athlete performance programme, has won a Pride of Britain Award for his charity work with young South Africans from deprived backgrounds.

Mr Sargison, who was a regional winner in the awards, set up the Balls to Poverty charity in 2004. Its work includes taking college students on annual trips to South African townships, distributing footballs and rugby balls to young people and providing coaching.

The project also encourages college students who make the trip to become role models in their local communities in Nottingham to encourage youngsters to get involved in the project.

Nottingham Forest football club has selected the project as its charity for 200910.