A SEMI-professional footballer who teaches the sport he loves to brain injury survivors has been nominated for a new award.

John Mbandi relocated from his home in Kenya to study sport and exercise sciences at the University of Sunderland.

The 32-year-old brought with him experience as a semi-pro football player, skills which he is today passing on to some of the most vulnerable people in the region.

He has become the first person to be nominated for an award as part of the university’s new Rate Your Mate campaign, which aims to place the spotlight on students who go above and beyond their studies to help others.

During his spare time, John has been working with a group of between 15 and 20 spinal and brain injury patients from charity Headway, taking them to the gym, teaching them basketball and playing football with them.

He said: “I just wanted to give something back to the people of the region who have been so kind in welcoming me here.”

When not helping and supporting Headway, John volunteers for the university’s Institute of Sport and also coaches one of its football teams.

He said: “My family back home are very proud of me and I can’t believe I’ve been nominated for this award. I’m hoping to stay in the region once I graduate and find some kind of job in the fitness industry.”

Rob Graham, a sport and development officer at the university, decided to nominate John after seeing the lengths he went to in order to help others.

|He said: “John is amazing, he’s been volunteering from the very first day he started here and has clocked up more than 300 hours.

“Back home in Africa he used to work with children who had AIDS, helping and educating them through football.”

John is working towards his FA Level 2 in coaching football.