Megan receives her Gold Award from the Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Phillip presented the award to her and other recipients in the picture gallery of St James’s Palace in London.

Megan, from Pond Park, left Friends in 2010 and is now studying Education with English at Homerton College, Cambridge.

To gain the gold award she was involved in many various activities, including working with young children at a local Rainbow Guide group. She spent a residential week long holiday camp in Southampton and then worked with children from that area.

Megan also spent a week in Liverpool working with underprivileged children from inner Liverpoo. For the sports side of the award Megan played hockey for Friends, took part in many water based sports such as wakeboarding and skiing, which included driving speed boats.

Friends school organised the final walking expedition for those taking part in the DOE gold award, and this took place in the Lake District in England.

The guest speaker/VIP on the day was Mr Alastair Campbell, educated at Cambridge, and Prime Minister Tony Blair’s chief press spokesman.

He told stories of his time in Northern Ireland with Tony Blair and a few of the more embarrassing moments throughout his career. He commended the high number of recipients from Northern Ireland of which there were 100 out of 350.