PUPILS at Newent Community School are leading the way in a nationwide campaign to help promote dementia awareness.

Newent are among four schools and one college in Gloucestershire to be selected to pilot the Prime Minister's Challenge on Dementia.

They have been having lessons about the issues surrounding living with dementia from specialists such as support workers and a dementia education nurse.

Pupils have been working with students from Gloucestershire College and some have been visiting local primary schools to teach the children about dementia.

Richard Hayes, the co-ordinator of the National Dementia Schools Project, said: "Newent School has really embraced dementia awareness.

"People in London were really blown away by the peer-to-peer learning you established with primary schools.

"Newent will be part of the national evaluation of the project as an example of excellence."

Year eight pupils have had a competition to come up with slogans about dementia. The winner got their slogan on a mug, one of which was given to every Year eight pupil.

The winner was Emma Dodd, who came up with: "I might forget your name, but you can love me the same".

Scarlet Miller and Amber McKenzie were second and third.