Last updated at 16:21, Friday, 07 September 2012

TWO inspirational sisters have become among the youngest ever recipients of the British Empire Medal.

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Alice and Milly Pyne were honoured for their services to charity in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, and yesterday they were presented with their medals.

It is understood that Milly is the youngest person ever to receive the honour and Alice one of the youngest.

They are also among only a handful of people to have been honoured with a BEM in the past 20 years.

The investiture of Ulverston teenagers was made by the Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria Sir James Cropper, who decorated the girls with their awards during a ceremony at The Beech Hill Hotel, outside Windermere.

The Queen’s representative got a lump in his throat as he concluded the ceremony saying it had been a “remarkable day”.

Afterwards, he said: “They are remarkable sisters, and it is remarkable for two sisters to have achieved this.’’

Alice and Milly’s proud parents, Vicky and Simon, other family members and friends, all gathered at the hotel to celebrate their achievements.

Alice, 16, has been fighting Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for five years. During this time she has campaigned to get people to sign up to the bone marrow register. Tens of thousands of people have been inspired to do this, and the sign-up drive is one of Alice’s wishes on her world-famous ’bucket list’, viewed by millions online.

Her charity, Alice’s Escapes, got up and running this year, offering the families of seriously ill children holidays and activities in the Lake District.

Many fundraising events and challenges have been held, and are to take place, to raise funds for the charity, including a Kilimanjaro climb later this month.

Milly, 13, was born with Crouzon’s syndrome, where the bones of the skull are fused at birth – and she has been a patient at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The determined teenager has helped raise £100,000 for charities. She is also young ambassador for her sister’s charity, and was also an Olympic torch bearer this summer.

Ulverston councillor Norman Bishop-Rowe nominated the sisters for the award, sending a letter of recommendation to the awards office along with Evening Mail press cuttings about Alice and Milly’s charity achievements.

He said: “They are two young ladies who have got up and fought and worked to help others.’’

Alice said: “We both feel very proud, it feels very special. I was really nervous beforehand, but am just happy now.

“Alice’s Escapes is going really well and we are well on our way to getting our caravan soon.’’

Milly, said: “It’s amazing, I am really proud and I am really proud of my sister. It is such a privilege to be honoured by the Queen.’’

Dad Simon, 50, said: “It was just a lovely occasion, to have both of them recognised together – I am so proud of them and of my wife Vicky.’’

Mrs Pyne described the day as “incredible’’ and added that the whole family wanted to especially thank Alice and Milly’s friends, Sam Blundell, 16, and Emily Brierley, 13, for all their support.

The BEM was discontinued in 1992 by the prime minister at the time, John Major. David Cameron announced last year that they were to be reintroduced to coincide with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

First published at 14:21, Friday, 07 September 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk