Shouldering the burden of more than 600 hours of unpaid volunteer work as head coach at the Merton Weightlifting Club has earned Martin Marshall a nomination for a Merton Community Award.

Mr Marshall, who has been with the club since its creation, was shocked when he heard about his nomination, saying he thought he was being called because of a nomination he submitted for someone else.

He said: “I’m really surprised, I didn’t expect it.”

Mr Marshall devotes hours every week to the club sessions, and on top of that he also accompanies members to competitions, such as the London Youth Games which the club has been a part of for the past two years.

He said “I get a lot out of seeing people improve and seeing that the club’s efforts make a difference.

“One girl who joined the club about a year ago, never having any sport training before, qualified for a weightlifting competition this year.

“I get parents e-mailing me all the time about all that the club has done for their children.”

According to assistant coach Alana Pash, Mr Marshall is well loved and respected by all the club members putting in more than 600 hours at the club, not including the hours put in to taking athletes to competitions.

She said: “He always looks to find ways to better the club and the athletes and he wouldn’t change this for the world.”

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.