Paralympic Games medal winner Kathy Smith presented Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme certificates to young people from the Abingdon area last night.

At a special presentation ceremony in Abbey Hall, Abingdon, Ms Smith praised the efforts of the young people and said their work in gaining the awards would help them.

Altogether 104 people from Abingdon and the surrounding district achieved awards.

Six gold winners received their awards from Kathy Smith. Four were pupils of Our Lady's Convent Senior school at Abingdon. They are: Suzanne Ellis, 20, from Boars Hill, who is now at Loughborough University; Louise Rollinson, 18, from Abingdon; Jennifer Gottwald, 18, from Grove, now studying at the King Alfred sixth form college in Wantage and Charlotte Calnan, 19, from Abingdon.

Also awarded gold were Stephanie McFarlane-Watts, 18, from Clifton Hampden who attends the John Mason School, Abingdon, and 25-year-old Clare Charlton, from Southmoor, a former pupil at St Helen and St Katharine School, Abingdon.