Surprise, Surprise for Chestnut Tree volunteer

A teenage volunteer got the surprise of her life when she met her favourite band, One Direction, after appearing on an ITV programme.

Rebecca Platt, 16, from Worthing, was nominated for “Surprise Surprise” after her efforts volunteering for children’s hospice, Chestnut Tree House.

She was taken up to London to visit Madame Tussauds, where she thought she was going to help film an advert.

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But when she headed to the room with the One Direction waxworks, she was surprised by the real band.

She had the chance to spend time with them, before being interviewed by the show’s presenter, Holly Willoughby.

Rebecca explained that she volunteers as a “buddy”, which involves making friends with the children at the hospice.

She said: “I love buddying for Chestnut Tree House because it’s such a rewarding feeling seeing the children at the house so happy.

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“Recently, we went to the circus and I was a buddy to one of the older teenager girls.

“She cannot talk and to see her smiling, happy and excited was just amazing.”

Rebecca also does fund-raising for the hospice and on her 16th birthday, she opted to do a parachute jump instead of having a party.

She added: “I knew I wanted to do something different for my 16th birthday, and so decided to do a parachute jump for Chestnut Tree House.

“It was such an amazing experience.”