Youth club leader Raina Sheaf was among community heroes hosted by Gordon Brown at a 10 Downing Street reception.

Leeds North-East MP Fabian Hamilton nominated Mrs Sheaf, chief executive of local club the Zone, as someone “widely respected in the Jewish community”.

She was “thrilled to be invited. It was good to realise that Mr Hamilton values what I do at the Zone.”

Mrs Sheaf, 43, travelled to London with Mr Hamilton’s other nomination, Abid Hussain, owner of a local chain of stores and an active supporter of the Leeds Islamic Centre.

“We found that our communities had a lot of issues in common. He was very interested in the Zone’s programmes.”

Mr Hamilton showed the “heroes” around the Houses of Parliament before they joined 60 other volunteers for the Downing Street reception with Mr Brown and the Chancellor’s wife, Maggie Darling.

Chatting with the Prime Minister had been “lovely”, Mrs Sheaf said.

“He asked what we both did in the community and told us to keep up the good work.”