Educating teenagers on the practicalities of being a parent

The Bexhill Young Parents Peer Education Project organised a fund-raising table sale in Parkhurst Hall.

Local shops generously donated over 60 prizes for a raffle, including flowers, a meal for two, chocolates and an electric drill.

Stalls sold bric-a-brac, delicious cakes, cards, and tombola tickets.

Chairman Harrison Reid, 20, had daughter Willow when he was 19 with his partner Chrissie Emblen, 24.

He said: "We're not telling people not to get pregnant, though obviously we'd like to discourage it when children are so young. We're trying to give them the practical realities about being a young parent."

The Project's members are all parents aged 16-25.

Formed in October, the group aims to share their experiences and raise awareness of services with the local youth.

Summer Allum, teenage pregnancy support worker for East Sussex County Council, said, "We're working on structuring some educational sessions to take into schools, starting with Bexhill High in the summer. We get one period which is fifty minutes, to talk the children. It's not a lot, but this group is very well organised."

The group also supports young people working towards AQA qualifications.

A pupil of Bexhill High said: "We had two sex education lessons last week instead of PE, but it's just a booklet about whether you are gay et cetera. It was quite good on relationships with parents but there wasn't much about sex at all. To hear it from people closer to our age is much better."

With the backing of East Sussex Youth Development Service, the group are seeking 2,800 from Sussex Community Foundation to cover transport, creche workers and safer sex education materials.

The sale was attended by young and old alike.

Jim Hockley, 75, said: "I think it's excellent. These people are willing to put themselves out to try and help the local society."

The group meets every Thursday at Sidley Community Centre from 11.30-12.30.

For more information contact Summer Allum on 07811 443908.