A TEENAGER who spends her spare time working with children has been presented with a young citizen of the year award.

Victoria Ayenu, 17, was presented with the Southend Rotary Club award at the Old Vienna Restaurant in Leigh.

She started volunteering under the Millennium Volunteers scheme and puts her skills to good use at the Trinity Family Centre, in Westcliff, as well as working for other charities.

Victoria, a student at South East Essex College, said: "I just filled out a form with my details and said I wanted to work with children and young people so they gave me the number for Trinity Family Centre in Westcliff.

"They asked me to come in and have a look around and I saw everything was in place and working there, so I decided to become a volunteer.

"Sometimes I help the young people in their artwork and sometimes I just supervise the youngsters who are aged from ten to 16."

Victoria moved to Southend from Ghana in 2005 with her brother Samuel, 20, to live in Baxter Avenue, Southend, with their mother Veronica, who was born in Britain.

Perry Hegarty, organiser of the event and community chairman for the Rotary Club, said: "I just think her dedication and the amount of time she's put in is really impressive."