A WREXHAM football coach has dedicated a national award to his players.

Delwyn Derrick, founder of multi-national Bellevue FC, has won the Culture and Sport award for this year's St David's Awards.

The 33-year-old founded the club five years ago with the aim of giving league football opportunities to vulnerable people or those from ethnic backgrounds.

The club has gone from strength to strength and has become a vital cog in the community - providing opportunities for refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable people to integrate into the community.

On Wednesday, First Minister Mark Drakeford announced the St David's Awards winners in a virtual ceremony.

Delwyn admits he never expected to be nominated, let alone win.

He told the Leader: "I was shortlisted alongside amazing people doing truly amazing things - so I felt privileged to have been named as a finalist alongside them.

"I was genuinely so shocked when Mark Drakeford read my name out."

The award is in recognition of the work Delwyn has done at the club over the last five years, which also led to him being crowned BBC Wales' Get Inspired Unsung Hero in 2019.

However, he says while he is proud to have received the latest award - it's his players and everyone involved at Bellevue FC who is deserving of it.

He said: "I founded the club, but anything I've achieved in the ensuing years is owed to the lads and our girls' team - they're the ones deserving of awards."

Delwyn has also spoken of the impact of the pandemic on those involved at the club.

"The pandemic's had a huge impact on us, and we're all battling through it," he said.

"But obviously it's well documented that some of our players suffer with mental health issues - meaning they've been affected perhaps more than most by the restrictions.

"I suppose that's the unseen killer of the pandemic. Suicide rates have been on the rise during it, and while that thankfully hasn't affected our club - it's something we're very vigilant of."

The impact has also had a huge effect on the club's asylum seekers.

Delwyn explained: "We have a player who has an ongoing case with the Home Office about whether he can stay in the country.

"This has been paused for over a year now due to the pandemic - so you can imagine the anxious state the player has been left in.

He added: "For some people at the club, playing Bellevue is their main form of escapism and the most constant thing they have.

"As a club, we're just desperate to get back playing and to get some normality back."

However, the club has done its best to keep people connected with another despite the lockdowns.

Delwyn said: "We've been keeping everyone in the loop with video calls and messages, and we organised a scheme whereby people like ex-footballers left video messages for our players.

"These included former Wales international Andy Melville, ex-Spurs defender Guy Butters. We had another message from Wrexham's Senedd Member, Lesley Griffiths."