The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu today will congratulate and award 197 students with their Young Leaders Awards at St Christopher's CE High School, Accrington.

Christian Pountain, Director of Spirituality at St Christopher’s said,

“Through the Young Leaders' Award we have rediscovered what it means to serve and lead others and have been inspired by the example of Jesus. As a school we seek to encourage our students to grow in faith and look for opportunities to be the change that they want to see.”

To attain their Awards, all students completed school and community action projects.  The school project involved the design and distribution of posters advertising 'Friday Praise' at St Nicholas’ School. This is the 'first of the 50' new worshipping congregations to be established as part of Blackburn Diocesan Bishop Julian's 'Vision 2026.'

As part of their community action project pupils weeded raised flower beds and cleared block paved areas on the housing estate over the road from their school.  Some students wrote letters to uniform suppliers, asking for a 'Fair Trade' uniform following a talk from a guest speaker and others opted to approach the local Council asking for better access to school buses, more bike lanes.  A class designed an area for an outdoor sacred space for the school grounds.

The Archbishop said;

“I am looking forward to meeting the students at St Christopher’s today. It is always a pleasure to hear what young people have done as part of achieving their Young Leaders’ Award. It is so encouraging to see them enthused and empowered to make positive changes and how they might continue this.”