AN A-LEVEL student from Callington Community College has been given the Princess Diana Award for her outstanding commitment and work in community volunteering.

Tamsyn Strange, 17, is a member of the student council, a volunteer with the local guides organisation, she helps run the Friday Night youth project and is actively involved with the Cornwall Youth Parliament.

The Diana Award is a lifetime honour presented to individual young people for their compassion and outstanding and selfless contributions to their communities.

They are positive role models for a generation by challenging negative stereotypes of young people.

Award holders automatically become members of the Diana Alumni programme, enabling them to continue their hard work and providing them with the skills to develop to their full potential.

Tamsyn is now overseeing younger students who are carrying on projects that she initiated, such as an event for older people and the Christmas hamper project for local vulnerable people with the Callington Lions.

She encourages the whole school community to donate an item of food. Tamsyn achieved the ASDAN Wider Key Skills at Level 3 for this work last year.

The first the student knew about the award was when the head of the sixth form announced it in assembly one day.

'It was a complete shock but I feel really privileged to get it,' said Tamsyn. 'I first got involved in volunteering through PHSE (personal, social and health education) lessons and citizenship lessons and I found I really enjoyed it.'

Headteacher Gary Lobbett said staff and students found Tamsyn to be unfailingly supportive and caring: 'We are extremely proud of Tamsyn. This award will encourage her to continue her work and hopefully inspire others to get involved.'

Chief executive of the Diana Award, Maggie Turner, OBE, said: 'This highly prestigious award gives young people, of all abilities, circumstances and cultures, recognition at a time when their life choices are still to be made, enabling them to make a real positive difference to their communities.

'As individuals, award holders change lives but as a group of community entrepreneurs they have the power and ambition to build the cohesive society in which we would all like to live.'

Tamsyn is planning to take a gap year after her A-levels and do some volunteering abroad before going to university.