A FORMER Trafford Young Citizen of the Year has received the MBE for services to charity.

Kirsty Ashton received the honour in the Queen’s New Year honours list and the 21 year old, who has raised more than £95,000 for When You Wish Upon A Star, said she was “dead excited” at the prospect of receiving the accolade.

“I’m just really honoured and probably shocked. My mum and dad are also really proud,” she said.

Kirsty, who has to live with neurofibromatosis (N.F) and scoliosis, said she hopes she will inspire other young people to raise cash for good causes.

She said she decided to fund raise for When You Wish Upon A Star because it is a charity close to her heart.

“When You Wish Upon A Star means a lot to me because they granted a wish for me when I was a kid. I went to Lapland. A young girl who passed away not long after the trip said if the money wasn’t raised that year she wouldn’t have been able to go,” said the former Altrincham College of Arts pupil.

Kirsty said living with neurofibromatosis means she has to make regular trips to hospital to have tumours removed.