A YOUNG Community Pride winner from York is looking forward to a fresh start this year after an extremely tough 2017 following the death of her mum.

Megan Harris, 15, scooped the Spirit of Youth accolade at the 2017 York Community Pride Awards after being nominated for the dedication she showed in caring for her mum Janine during her battle with motor neurone disease. Janine died, aged 49, on March 22 last year after a suspected heart attack.

After a very difficult 2017, Megan is hoping to create lots of happy memories in 2018.

She said: "It’s been a difficult three years and very hard since mum passed in March. Mum was diagnosed [with motor neurone disease] in December 2014 and got quite bad in April 2015 so I’ve missed out a lot with my mates since then.

"2018 is a fresh start."

The year 11 All Saints RC School pupil is hoping to pass as many GCSEs as possible when she sits her exams later this year.

She is excited about a holiday to New York with her family in February, which is somewhere her mum promised to take her for her 16th birthday. Her dad Steve is now keeping that promise.

Megan is also hoping to raise funds for charity next year, possibly for St Leonard's Hospice in York where Janine received care on a number of different occasions during the final two years of her life.

Megan was just 12-years-old when Janine was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

From that day Megan took it upon herself to be a carer for Janine, while continuing her education at school.

She remained one of her main carers until about a month before Janine died.

As well as winning a Community Pride Spirit of Youth accolade last year, Megan also received a Governors Award at an All Saints RC School awards ceremony for attending school while looking after her mum. This was presented to her by BBC broadcaster Harry Gration.

After The Press ran an article about Megan being nominated for a Community Pride Award, she received an anonymous cash donation of £200, which was given to her during a school assembly.

She has since received another £100 from the same person.