ABOUT 300 children who had their lives put back on track by The Prince's Trust have gathered to celebrate their success.
The students, who are aged 14 to 16, attend schools in Durham, Hartlepool and Sunderland and all took part in the trust's XL project.
XL was piloted by The Prince's Trust in Durham, two years ago, in partnership with the LEA and schools.
Clubs were set up at seven schools under the scheme to provide special training facilities for young people who are under-achieving or playing truant, to help them rediscover their potential.
Durham has become the flagship of the XL network and the North-East now has 77 XL clubs - the highest number in the country.
The 300 children who attended the event at the Stadium of Light yesterday received certificates of achievement.
Pat Rogers, community education worker in Durham, said: "The impact it is making is extremely positive. In some cases it has made the difference between inclusion and exclusion, while others have reached levels of initiative and responsibility I would not have dreamed possible."
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