A FEMALE netball coach has won a national award for encouraging girls to get into the sport and is now looking to develop the first Muslim girl to play nationally.

Ruksana Moress, from Blackburn, won the Unsung Hero National Award at the Vitality Golden Globes Award in Liverpool.

The mother-of-three and avid netball player and coach runs the elite netball club in Blackburn and was the first Asian netball coach in the North West division.

She said: “I don’t coach netball to get anything back, but since I became a coach, there have been 10 Asian women become coaches.

“I used to coach some girls, including my own daughters, who became netball coaches too.”

After 12 years of playing netball, Mrs Moress wanted to coach other girls and women, and started a drop-in session at Blackburn College.

This led to her group, the elite netball club based in Blackburn.

Open to all ages from 16, the group is often split into three teams and beginners are welcome.

When Mrs Moress played at school, she did not get the support to carry on.

She said: “I want to get more Asian women and women from other backgrounds into netball, because when I was at school, even when we got into a final and won, we did not get the support to go further.

“I wanted to pass on my love for netball and show that you can rekindle the passion after years too.

The qualified driving instructor said: “Now we have people from different backgrounds and ages playing netball. My dream and next step is to coach and take the first Muslim Asian girl to play professionally.”

The club sessions are open to all abilities on Monday at St Mary’s College in Blackburn from 5pm. On Tuesday they play at the Audley Centre from 6pm, and on Wednesday there are sessions at Tauheedul Girls School at 5.30pm, then from 7pm at Blackburn Youth Zone.