Amelia Collins-Patel: Lockdown volunteer hopes MBE will inspire others

Amelia Collins-Patel had to wait more than a year to receive the honour

A volunteer who supported people during the pandemic says she hopes her MBE award will lead to more young volunteers being honoured.

Amelia Collins-Patel, 24, from Thurnby, Leicestershire, helped organise conversations between people feeling anxious and lonely during lockdown.

She received her honour from the Duke of Cambridge at a Windsor Castle ceremony on Tuesday.

Ms Collins-Patel also said it had been "very exciting" to meet Prince William.

Ms Collins-Patel said the honour had inspired her to do more

The honour, for voluntary service to children and young people, was originally bestowed on her in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2020 but the investiture ceremony did not take place until now.

Ms Collins-Patel, one of the youngest people to have been appointed MBE, said: "It feels exciting but also there is some pressure with it.

"Hopefully it's paving the way for more young people to be able to get nominated and to get recognised for the amazing work they're doing.

"I've not done anything huge, it's a day-to-day thing I've done, and I've just continued doing that from the age of six."

Ms Collins-Patel added Prince William was the royal family member she had been most keen to meet due to his mental health campaigning.

"I know how much passion he's got for people that are making a difference," she said.

"For me, he's always someone who has inspired me as he's going to be king one day and he's spent so much time getting to know what it's like for people like us.

"To hear his passion directly from him was so inspirational, it's just encouraged me to go 'OK, what can I do next?'"