Kent Heroes rescue Shipwrecked TV Star - at Chatham Dockyards

It's official. Laura Pratt, from Sevenoaks, star of the current Channel 4 series Shipwrecked, has been rescued by a team of heroes -- all for the sake of a Kent wide charity.

Laura, who has been seen on a desert island every Sunday for the past few weeks, was saved from HMS Gannet at the Historic Dockyard at Chatham by heroes from the children's charity, 1-2-1 Youth Befriending.

The charity which offers a befriending and support service to vulnerable young people aged 6 to 16 is looking for more suitable "Heroes" to come forward and act as role models and give young people the chance to trust an adult outside the family.

The Heroes campaign is now officially launched as the charity seeks to widen its offering to young people. Full details can be seen at www.ukheroes.org Suzy Messenger, 1-2-1 Youth Befriending Director, says: "We are aiming to recruit 100 new heroes to support the children on our waiting list so they can achieve their full potential.

"Laura is a good friend of the charity and with her support we are sure we can find those recruits who need just give children a few hours a week of their time. Those few hours can make a world of difference."

-Ends-

NOTES TO EDITORS

•1-2-1 Youth Befriending is a registered charity helping children offload stress, regain lost self-esteem and restore a belief in themselves. These young people can be isolated, excluded and living on the fringes of society within rural and urban communities, from families on low incomes and in areas of social deprivation.

•One-to-one meetings take place once a week and they also meet other 1-2-1 children for group activities, giving them a chance to socialise and feel part of the community.

•Supported by the Home Office, Kent County Council and Connexions, 1-2-1 has worked in West Kent for almost 20 years.

For further information:

Alan Rustad

AR Communications

Tel 0870 321 7557/07010 717217

alan@ar-comms.com

or

Suzy Messenger

1-2-1 Youth Befriending

Enterprise House

8 Essex Road

Dartford

Kent DA1 2AU

Tel 01322 294005