LIKE buses, awards come along at the same time for Rick Wilson.

The founder of 5kGroupRun was unable to attend the Grassroots Heroes Awards due to the fact that he was at the inaugural British Citizen Awards.

Rick may have upgraded Mytton Fold Hotel for Palace of Westminster but he still would have loved to have been able to be in two places at the same time.

“I was really sorry I couldn’t make the awards but it could not be helped,” said Rick who was named the Grassroots Heroes Awards Unsung Hero. “People keep on nominating me for awards, it is all a bit embarrassing!”

Rick earned his double accolade for setting up the 5KGroupRun after completing the NHS-backed Couch to 5k plan and realising there were no groups to help those trying to get fit through running.

Since then, it has been an incredible sporting success story with hundreds of newcomers to running taking to the roads of Blackburn three days a week.

Thanks to his energy and enthusiasm, he has helped more than 1,200 runners achieve their goal of running 5k and - despite officially not being classed as a club – 5KGroupRun members regularly outnumber established clubs at races across the North West. Rick is as proud as he is embarrassed about all the attention.

“Naturally, I am very proud of the awards but at the same time it is a little bit embarrassing because, in my eyes, all I have done is set up a running group,” he said.

“But what these awards do is raise awareness of what we are doing and shows Blackburn in a positive light. The town gets a lot of negative publicity and seems to be at the bottom of all the wrong tables. But if awards like these raise awareness of what the group is doing then that can only be a good thing.”

While Rick was missed at Mytton Fold, he was not forgotten as he was represented by Deborah Clucas, Sue Wolstenholme, Natalie Chatterton and Beth Perkins.

And he wasn’t separated from his award for too long as they picked him up on his return from London where he had picked up BCA for Service to Healthcare.

“The girls who kindly attended the Grassroots Heroes Awards picked me up from the train station and gave me the award which was great.

“It is a great honour and I am very flattered.”