A GROUP of young friends saw the culmination of two years' hard work when they collected their Duke of Edinburgh Gold awards in London on Thursday.

The youngsters Richard Hughes, Laura Dearden, James Waddy, of Alvechurch, Sarah Cain of Rowney Green, Claire Scholey, Laura Brown, Faye Edwards, of Barnt Green, and Helen Fisher and Claire Humphries are all former pupils of South Bromsgrove High School.