The Albion Foundation have named Nural Islam as our Premier League Community Captain.
Nural is a pivotal part of the Foundation's strategy to engage young people in sport across the local region, and along with regular contributions to Premier League Kicks sessions, has helped organise community-building events such as the Open Iftar and South Asian Emerging Talent Festival.
Nural received the award as part of the Premier League’s More Than A Game campaign, and he is one of more than 100 people across England and Wales being celebrated through the campaign for their involvement in Premier League-funded community programmes.
He was surprised with the visit of Albion goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith, who presented him with the award at a Premier League Kicks session.
Expressing his joy for winning the award, Nural said: "It's a profound honor and a responsibility I take very seriously. Being Community Captain means being an ambassador for the positive impact football can have on young lives and our community.
"It's about inspiring the next generation, promoting inclusivity, and using the platform to amplify the voices of those who might not otherwise be heard. I'm immensely pleased and grateful for the opportunity.
"Witnessing the positive changes in young people and knowing that I can play a part in their development is incredibly rewarding. Working alongside organisations like The Albion Foundation to create opportunities and strengthen our community is a privilege."
The Albion Foundation community engagement manager Darryl Hickman said: "Nural is a fantastic individual who commits so much time and effort to the people within his local community. He works around the clock engaging people in positive activities, in particular young people in sport.
"Over the last two years, Nurals support and contribution has helped us deliver some brilliant events through Premier League Kicks and Fans Fund, including our first Open Iftar held at The Hawthorns and hosting a South Asian Emerging Talent Festival.
"He's such an important figure in our community engagement team at The Albion Foundation and we cannot thank him enough for his efforts. Sandwell and in particularly Smethwick are lucky to have him."
Many congratulations, Nural, we're incredibly grateful for your contributions!
