STRETFORD students have been awarded ‘Most Inspirational Young Person’ Award for their work helping refugee children.

Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston, welcomed the Stretford High and Stretford Grammar School students to parliament to present them with the award that she nominated them for back in September.

Ajai Singh, Danish Amin, Aimee Monaghan and Sania Muhammed from Stretford High and Lauryn Duncan-Rouse, Dylan Holden-Sim and Adeel Anwar from Stretford Grammar travelled to Dunkirk in July 2016, together with some of their teachers, to work in a refugee camp school.

The students worked full time with the refugee children – doing everything from organising and throwing an Eid party to helping the children with their English, Maths and Art. The students also helped the children develop "soft skills" such as sharing, helping others and teamwork.

The refugee children had very little experience of school and they said even sitting at a desk presented a challenge for them.

On returning to the UK, the students addressed a Trafford Council meeting to let councillors and the Mayor know about the work they’d done and implored the local council officials to do their part in helping to alleviate the refugee crisis.

Kate was really impressed to hear about the students work and therefore nominated the students under the category ‘Most Inspirational Young Person’ for a 2017 Kids Count “Inspire the House” Award.

Against a record number of nominations and a very high standard of entries, the Stretford students were awarded ‘Highly Commended’ in the Most Inspirational Young Person category.

Kate presented the students with their award at a special reception in the Terrace Marquee of the House of Commons on December 5. Education Secretary, Justine Greening also attended the reception.

Kate said: “I was incredibly proud to present the Stretford students with an award for their work helping refugee children in Dunkirk.

“Their award is thoroughly well deserved and it’s great that they’re getting recognition for their inspirational work.

“With so much division and uncertainty in the world today, the future of our community certainly seems bright when our young people take such positive action helping others.”

Christ Hirst, teacher at Stretford High, said: “We're thrilled that the hard work and humanitarian efforts of the young people of Stretford have been recognised by this award.

“We would like to thank Kate Green MP for her support throughout the whole of our refugee project and for nominating us.”