The Post was visited this week by a group of teenagers taking part in the government-funded National Citizen Service.

With the aim of bringing young people from different backgrounds together, the 16 to 17-year-old students from schools across Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Romford met for the first time three weeks ago.

They have spent the weeks doing team building, fundraising and visiting local charities and businesses (such as the Post), and at the end will receive a signed certificate from David Cameron.

Samuel Badre, 16, from All Saints School, said: “It has been great. At the start we didn’t know each other and the first day was really awkward. There’s been a real social mix.”

The main challenge was to come up with a project that would make an impact on the local community, and the group decided on a healthy eating campaign.

Siobhan Lynch, 17, from St Angela’s Ursuline School, explained: “The aim is to get more people to eat fruit and vegetables. We’re going to give out vegetables along with interesting recipes people can make with them, along with leaflets on how to stay healthy.”

Once strangers and now a tight-knit group, they will continue to work together on the project on weekends in September.