An entrepreneur from St Albans who has raised thousands of pounds for charities is "humbled" to have been honoured with an MBE in the Queen's birthday honours list.

Zoe Jackson, director of The Living the Dream Performing Arts Company, will be making not just one, but two trips to Buckingham Palace this year, following the news that she has been honoured for services to young entrepreneurs and the performing arts.

The 25-year-old said: "This is a dream come true, I have always wanted to meet the Queen, but to be honoured twice in one year, and to be awarded the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is incredible.

"I feel completely humbled to be in the presence of so many inspiring people, I am completely overwhelmed and can’t believe that I have been recognised in this way."

The news follows an announcement earlier this year that award-winning entrepreneur Zoe is to be one of the first ever recipients of the Queen’s Young Leaders Awards for inspiring and empowering young people to live their dreams and championing young talent through the arts.

Zoe set up the Living the Dream Performing Arts Company at the age of 16 in 2006 to inspire young people and to subsidise her own performing arts education.

Over the last nine years has grown the company to include a school of performing arts, a professional dance company and a talent agency.

She also launched a charity, the Dream Foundation, which supports young people at a disadvantage, giving them access to the arts.

Zoe was recently included in the "Top 100 Inspiring Women" in Elle Magazine in the company of a formidable list of including Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama and Beyoncé.