For the Volunteer award, 19-year-old Kwaku Amoako, has been nominated for his work at Pollards Hill Library.

Since coming back from Ghana in February, Kwaku has wanted to study IT at South Thames College in Morden.

But when he was told that courses did not start until September, he didn’t want to just be stuck in his house watching TV.

He said: “I have an IT background which I can use to help people, so I just went to the library and started volunteering. I felt that I could help people out more than me just being in the house like that.”

Despite his friends mocking him because he makes no money from it, Kwaku is nevertheless proud of his work, and believes fully in what he feels makes him stand out from the others.

He spends nine hours a week volunteering at the library – three hours on a Monday, Thursday and Friday.

The young volunteer lives with his parents and two brothers in Wide Way, Mitcham, who he is certain would be very, very proud of him if he won.

This year’s Merton Community Awards, previously known as the Merton Civic Awards, launched on Thursday, May 5.

It is run by this newspaper in association with Merton Council.

Nominate someone by voting online at www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/mca or fill out a form in the Wimbledon Guardian newspaper.