A former St Bees woman has been awarded an MBE for helping abandoned and vulnerable youngsters overseas.

Amy Hathaway, formerly Amy Lithgow, has been named in the latest Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to providing interim and community care for abandoned and vulnerable infants in Mwanza, Tanzania.

The 38-year-old, formerly of St Bees, is the founder and project director of the Forever Angels Baby Home.

Through a decade of selfless and dedicated hard work, she has created a home for abandoned and at-risk infants which has saved and transformed lives and had a significant impact on the local community.

She said: "I am overwhelmed and delighted that this honour will put Forever Angels in the spotlight. Our work in Tanzania is incredible and only possible because of the passion and dedication of my amazing family, trustees, volunteers and staff. I am thankful to all of them for creating this with me."

Amy, who was born and spent her early childhood in St Bees, attended the village school.

When she got older, she volunteered over two summers at Romanian orphanages. It was there she first experienced the terrible impact that acute deprivation has on young children.

Then in 2002, when she was working as an international teacher in Tanzania, she became aware of the huge challenges faced by local hospitals and social services in dealing with large numbers of abandoned or motherless babies.

Amy was so moved, she gave up her job and began to follow her vision in a full time, voluntary capacity.

By 2006 she had enough support and funds to buy, renovate and staff an old hospital building.

The first child arrived at the Baby Home at the end of 2006 and now, ten years later, the home has provided over 350 orphans with a safe haven.

The charity has grown and now has a pre-school, a sensory room, a specialised facility for premature infants.

In addition there is an expanding community outreach programme, Maisha Matters, which provides life-saving nutrition for orphan babies, supports their relatives to set up sustainable businesses and so empowers them to support their own families now and into the future.