A BURNLEY-born actress and model has been honoured at a ceremony for young people who help their communities.

Fourteen-year-old Lamissah La-Shontae Imaan Bhatti was with presented the Medal of Honour at the British Citizen Youth Awards alongside 23 other young people. 

The awards were held at the Palace of Westminster. The awards are now in their fifth year and recognise ‘exceptional under-18s who have positively impacted their communities’.

Lamissah has featured in more than 50 films and has also walked at Paris Fashion Week, London Fashion Week and Liverpool Fashion Week, among others.

She lives with her parents, Zohra and Shahid Bhatti, and has four brothers, Sajjad 29, Naushad 28, Hamza 23 and Xavier 11. Shahid runs his own hairdressers - Mirror Image - on Colne Road in Burnley.

Lamissah started acting and modelling at the age of six and has won several awards.  

Following a health scare over benign skin melanoma she launched a campaign for Models with Scars. She started her love for charity at the age of five, seeing her younger brother suffer health conditions. She has since hosted charity fashion events and raised over £10,000 for good causes.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Proud mum Zohra said: “She was truly overwhelmed, humbled to have been chosen. We met so many life-long friends there who are truly inspirational beyond words.

“As a family we are all extremely proud of Lamissah and the beautiful, selfless, loving, caring, humble young lady that she has become.

“I know it is not often in the Asian community we see a young girl as an actress. We are so proud to be Burnley born and bred.” 

Television presenter Anthea Turner, who hosted the event, said: “This group of British Citizen Youth Award medallists represented community leadership, tech for good, climate campaigns and social conscience.

“Having met them all made me more confident of the future than I have felt for some time. These are amazing young people who deserve this recognition and I hope others aspire to be like them.”