Two students from the same college have been awarded prestigious accolades for their fundraising.

Rebecca Houlding and Thaine Mayes, both A level students at Plume Sixth Form College in Maldon, have won the Diana Champion Fundraiser Award.

Rebecca, 17, and her mum Sarah walked 60 miles across the Rift Valley in Tanzania last summer and raised £11,300 for the Ronald McDonald House at Guy’s Hospital London.

Thaine, 18, of Crouchman’s Farm Road, Ulting, has raised more than £6,000 for Help for Heroes in the last three years.

They were presented with their awards last week, when Plume School pupil Alex Cole was also presented with a Jack Petchey Award for outstanding achievement.