A charity operating a soup kitchen for deprived people in Keighley has taken on its first official ambassador to promote its work.

Intouch Foundation, which also operates in Shipley and Bradford, has announced it has recruited 20-year-old Keighley man, Sohail Rehman, who is a wheelchair-bound qualified football coach.

Faisal Tariq, national mobile soup kitchen manager for InTouch Foundation, said: “We selected Sohail because he’s a role model to every single person out there.

“He is a big fan of InTouch Foundation, and he loves how a simple concept of feeding those who are in need can bring communities together.

“He and I are currently working out future plans on how to get his football team involved in feeding across our sites.

“I’m also currently working on getting several Premier League footballers and boxers, as well as other local heroes from our communities, to become Intouch Foundation ambassadors.”

Mr Rehman, who was born with spinal muscular atrophy, described the charity’s contribution to the community as “unbelievable”.

“To stand out there on cold evenings and give food to people in need is amazing,” he said.

“Being asked to be an ambassador is a great honour. My own message for youngsters and teenagers who stay on their computer consoles all day is to come out one evening and see with your own eyes how lucky you are.”