A teenager has been nominated for a Young People of the Year award for her work raising money for cancer research. 

Ellie Pamment, of Moulsham Lodge, has raised £5,000 by running the Race for Life after being inspired by her family's battle with cancer. 

Now Ellie Pamment has been nominated for the Essex Young People of the Year Awards or ‘YOPEYs’ – Oscars for young people who ‘give to others’.

There is £2,400 to be won by young people at a joint awards ceremony for Essex and London.

There will be at least two Essex Young People of the Year.

A senior Essex YOPEY, aged 18-25, winning £500, and a junior Essex YOPEY, aged 10-17, winning £300.

Either prize can be won by a group and the winners have to invest most of their winnings in their good cause but can keep £100 to treat themselves.

Ellie started by joining her mother in the race with her mum Helen, who has been running the race in memory of her grandparents, who died from cancer, and her aunt, who was battling cancer.

But when Helen was diagnosed with breast cancer Ellie became even more involved. 

Helen said: "Ellie came and said she wanted to run the race for me.

"The support and sponsorship came flooding through.

"It was heart wrenching.”

While her mother was having treatment, Ellie, still only 10, ran the race alone.

Ellie said: “The year my mum couldn't do it, I ran all the way, even though I'm not an athletic person.”

After a year of treatment, Helen was given the all-clear and mother and daughter have done the race together ever since.

She said: “The first time we did it together again, Ellie just raced ahead and beat me easily.

“It's a wonderful uplifting event although I always have a cry.”

Now they are more likely to walk together and swap stories with other survivors and their supporters.

Ellie added: “You always find people to talk to along the way, and you tell each other your story. It’s uplifting and emotional. “It's a brilliant day – lots of people go dressed in pink and I've worn a tutu.”

Mother and daughter will be taking part again this year. More than 4,000 women and children are expected at he race at Highland Park in July. 

YOPEY founder Tony Gearing, said: "There are many young people in Essex doing wonderful things for others.

"It's just that they live in the shadow of a well-publicised anti-social minority.

"We need to give young people the respect they deserve and set up the best as positive role models for others to copy rather than focusing on the small number who appear in the press for negative reasons.

“Ellie responded to her mum's cancer battle by getting involved in a positive way – fundraising for cancer research. Well done, Ellie.”

Schools, youth organisations, churches and charities across Essex are being urged to nominate their young people. If their nominee wins, they can receive prize money. Family and friends can also nominate but they cannot win prize money.

Young people can even nominate themselves. Ellie was nominated by Sharon Crane, the pastoral head at her school, Moulsham High.

This year’s Essex YOPEY is sponsored by EWA Bespoke Communications of Chelmsford, Total Logic Security of Harlow, Fisher Jones Greenwood Solicitors with offices in Colchester, Chelmsford, Clacton and Billericay, Estuary Housing Association in south Essex, and Runwood Homes with care homes throughout the county. The YOPEY charity has also received a grant from Essex Community Foundation.

www.yopey.org