A NORTH-EAST documentary maker has been praised by the Queen for her voluntary work.

Emma Parsons, 30, of Salters Avenue, Darlington, attended a reception at Buckingham Palace, held earlier this month, for people who had made a difference during the Year of the Volunteer.

The former Longfield School and Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College student was nominated by the Media Trust, in London, for the quality of a video she produced using its equipment.

The four-and-a-half minute video focused on the work of a London project called Hackney Family Backup and was made to promote the recruitment of short-stay carers for children with disabilities.

Miss Parsons' mother, Gill, said: "It is tough work producing a video, owing to the amount of time it takes to gather material.

"She had to meet the people who run the project and the carers, children and families involved. Then she spent a tremendous amount of time editing.

"At the reception, she chatted to the Queen about the work of the Media Trust and in particular, how she came to make the video."

Mrs Parsons said the video would be shown in London cinemas and public events.