Teenage honours recipient urges peers to get involved in ‘rewarding’ charity

One of the youngest people on the New Year Honours list has urged others her age to get involved in “rewarding” charitable causes.

Mikayla Beames, 18, has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) after founding Team Mikayla following her cancer diagnosis aged four.

The charity grants the wishes of children suffering from cancer and has raised more than £300,000 to do so.

Ms Beames, from Wantage, Oxfordshire, told the PA news agency: “It’s mad (to be one of the youngest recipients) it doesn’t seem real, it’s absolutely amazing.”

Asked what advice she would give to other young people considering charity work, she said: “Do it, it’s so rewarding and knowing that you can make a difference to others is amazing.”

Ms Beames recollected making a young boy a “knight for the day” by sending him to Warwick Castle, saying it was “amazing” to see the pictures of him.

She went on: “(Being honoured) is an utter shock. I was surprised.

“My mum actually read it out to me … I couldn’t believe it.

“It’s the whole world, you don’t expect to be recognised with such a big award.”

Since 2014, Team Mikayla has granted 220 wishes to children who are fighting cancer, distributing more than 1,000 Christmas presents.