A YOUNG carer and St John Ambulance volunteer from Church Fenton has been recognised by The Princess Royal for helping her community in the floods.

Eliza Clapham, 15, a St John Ambulance Cadet with the Selby Unit, was among a select group of young people invited to the reception with Princess Anne at St James’s Palace recently, to acknowledge their hard work and commitment to the first aid charity.

The charity’s annual Young Achievers’ Reception honoured St John Ambulance Badgers, Cadets, and young carers who have all made outstanding contributions in their local communities.

Philip O’Donnell is the organisation's youth manager for the area. He said: "Eliza is an amazing asset to her local community and fully deserves to be rewarded with this invitation.

"The reception is a great way for us to recognise the commitment and outstanding work of these young people. They have all proven themselves to be outstanding individuals and we hope that the opportunity to meet Her Royal Highness has been a special and memorable experience for them."

During the Boxing Day floods Eliza helped to move furniture and lay sandbags, communicated with her local MP Nigel Adams, helped with traffic management and liaised with rescue services online to keep people updated.

She worked hard helping flood victims every day until January 1, and narrowly missed meeting Prime Minister David Cameron when he visited her village.

The Tadcaster Grammar School student joined St John Ambulance as a Badger aged just five and has since given first aid cover at local events like Sherburn Gala and the Cawood Craft Festival.

She is also a young carer for her mum, Clare, who suffers with arthritis and fibromyalgia, alongside her brother.

She said: “I’m very proud to be a Young Achiever and meeting the Princess Royal was a very surreal experience, but one I will never forget. I love being a St John Ambulance Cadet as I enjoy meeting new people and learning new life skills.”

Each young person met HRH The Princess Royal – who has the official title of Commandant in Chief, Youth for St John Ambulance – and spoke to her about their experiences as a volunteer during the reception.