By Grace Wood
Copyright bbc
Muhammad Isa Saleem was 14 when he first showed up at his local youth club to play football.
Four years later, he is working there, inspiring other young people – and his colleagues have called him a “trailblazer and a role model”.
Darnall Education and Sports Academy (DESA) is a youth organisation that aims to “improve the life chances” of young people in Sheffield.
Isa was first attracted to the sports sessions, but was later offered tutoring during his GCSEs and then became a volunteer. He is now studying pharmacy at university and is a member of DESA staff who runs his own youth activities.
As well as running the Friday and Sunday football sessions for 12 to 16-year-old boys, Isa, now 18, has just started his course at the University of Huddersfield.
Kamran Din, the organisation’s managing director, said: “There are no words that can actually describe how proud I am of Isa.
“He is somebody who is going to carry this torch forward, and be a role model to our youngsters tomorrow.”
