"IT'S not about me, it's about the kids," was the message from a young rugby coach nominated for a community award.

Joe Ward, a 21-year-old from Ulverston, has been playing rugby union and league since he was 13.

Since taking up coaching aged just 17, he has grown as a leader at Ulverston Rugby Club and, for his hard work, has been nominated for a Heart of Ulverston Award.

Upon hearing he had been put forward for Sports Volunteer of the Year, Mr Ward downplayed his role, choosing instead to focus on the children he coached.

He said: "I don't really want the recognition for it, it's nice to be nominated, it shows that kids are getting interest out of it. I do it for the kids."

Rugby is a family affair for Mr Ward, with his granddad, dad, and mum all keen followers and players of the game.

The sport was a natural fit for Mr Ward when he picked it up as a pupil at Chetwynde School. Football, he says, was "too soft" for him.

At 17 he began coaching the under 14s at Ulverston Rugby League Club.

He said: "It wasn't that hard at the time, because I was young they related to me better, rather than them having someone older.

As well as coaching the under 12s in Ulverston, Mr Ward also coaches the under 15s at Hawcoat Park Rugby Union Club.

For Mr Ward the best part of his job is seeing how much his young players get out of rugby, and he sees himself continuing his role into the future.

He said: "I enjoy coaching more than playing at the moment, it's something that I want to carry on."

He added: "It's not about me, it's about the kids, I'm dead happy I've been nominated, I'm not one of those people who want to take the limelight."

Click here to nominate your community hero for a Heart of Ulverston Award

Read more about this year's nominees:

Terrific Trudi triumphs after tacking ten marathons in ten days

A schoolteacher has been nominated for his decades of service to improving young lives