A quartet of young health champions have won an award for developing a sex education workshop for schools.

Julia Watson, Katie Jones, Julia Halligan and Madeleine Hames, all members of St Albans Youth Council (SAYC), won the national Youth Health Champion Campaign Award which recognises young people who have developed and delivered an inspirational health campaign.

It was part of their training to become health champions and the award is supported by Public Health England.

The four girls felt that sex education in some schools was inadequate leaving some youngsters poorly prepared and at risk of physical, emotional and social harm.

They asked other young people what information and guidance they felt they needed and developed a workshop which included a video they had put together to help their peers consider different messages about sex education.

It has been delivered to the rest of SAYC and Year 12 students at St Albans Girls School with a view to it being delivered to all students at STAGS in Year 10 and above.

The project was supported by the county council’s Youth Connexions and as the quartet was unable to get to the award ceremony, it was collected on their behalf by Ellie Appleyard and Emma Beswetherick, members of SAYC and students of St Albans High School.