Royal honour for PC who found voice as volunteer
A police officer who moved to the UK as a teenager unable to speak English is the youngest recipient named in the King's Birthday Honours list this year.
Shamza Butt, 20, received a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to young people as part of her work with the National Citizen Service (NCS) Trust's Youth Voice Forum.
Ms Butt said she joined the programme to learn English after moving from Italy to Bradford at the age of 16 and had since become a "prolific volunteer".
Ms Butt, now a serving officer with West Yorkshire Police, said she felt "honoured" to have been recognised for her work.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she said: "I got a letter [from Buckingham Palace] through the post and I didn't know what it was, so I had to Google it.
"I don't know how to describe it exactly, but I felt really honoured to have been given this award."
As part of her role with the NCS, Ms Butt has been involved in a number of community projects and has campaigned against knife crime with project Peer Action Collective.
Ms Butt said: “I have done so much work with National Citizen Service, from social action and charitable work to volunteering at the Queen’s funeral and the King’s Coronation.
“I arrived in the UK as a young 16-year-old who wanted to learn the language and make some friends.
"I joined NCS for a summer and it is the best thing I ever did."
Last year, Ms Butt embarked on her "dream" career in the police.
“Because of my work done in the community and my time on NCS, I am driven to helping people and that’s what motivated me to getting involved in public services," she added.
Ms Butt is one of more than 1,000 people from across the UK who received honours in the King’s birthday list.
The list is made up of people from all walks of life, including celebrities, government employees and ordinary people who have served their community.
This year's oldest recipient is 100-year-old Harold Jones from Sutton Coldfield, who was awarded a BEM for his fundraising for charities relating to Motor Neurone Disease and the local community.
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