The Department for Education's grant, awarded through the
National Prospectus: Improving Outcomes for Children, Young People
and Families, enables Terrence Higgins Trust to run a national
intervention programme, starting this month.
Entitled the Sexual Health Champions Programme, it will empower
young people experiencing disadvantage to become Sexual Health
Champions and deliver youth led and designed SRE support for young
people in England.
The programme will involve sex and relationships coordinators in
London, Colchester, Bristol, Birmingham and Leeds, training 100
disadvantaged 14-19 year-olds to become Sexual Health Champions who
will then go on to deliver peer-to-peer SRE sessions for 2,000 more
young people.
The SRE coordinators will also provide intensive one-to-one
support for 40 of the most marginalised young people who are at
highest risk of sexual ill health.
Young people taking part in the Sexual Health Champions Programme
programme will gain practical and vocational skills, OCN
accreditation and volunteering experience. The programme will give
them the knowledge and confidence to establish and maintain healthy
relationships, to help them continue their journey through future
education and life.
Terrence Higgins Trust's Chief Executive, Sir Nick Partridge, said
of the grant: "Poor sexual health and unplanned pregnancies are
real barriers to young people properly being able to engage in
education, employment and training so we're delighted to have been
awarded this funding which will provide vital sex and relationships
education and support for 14-19 year-olds in the UK."
