Students sparked into action at the Global Student Forum (GSF) in London have won the new Diana Certificate of Excellence Group Award.

Ten sixth formers from Stratton Upper School, Biggleswade, joined more than 500 others at the forum last year. The event focused on the plight of child soldiers worldwide.

"I entered the conference hall with the sole aim of adding it to my personal statement for UCAS," admitted 18-year-old Nick Moyster. "I soon discovered there was more to the day than I had thought. I was embarking on a journey. The issue of child soldiers is so extreme. It completely blew me away."

The students produced a video using emotive footage of child soldiers and the song 'Wish Upon a Star' by rising star Lisbee Stainton. They ran special school assemblies in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday and Holocaust Memorial Day, wrote articles in the school paper and devised a cartoon story-board to help younger children visualise the life of child soldiers.

Their work was recognised this week by the granting of the Diana Certificate of Excellence Group Award which gives public recognition to 12 to 18-year-olds who "go an extra mile to make a profound difference to the lives of friends, families, schools and communities."

Nick Pollard, founder of GSF, said: "The students spent hours teaching their peers about the issue of child soldiers because they had come to believe passionately about the subject, not because they wanted to win an award. But it is marvellous that their work has been recognised in this way.

Maggie Turner, CEO of the Diana Award, said: “This new award affirms young people who work together as a team to make a difference to other people, without seeking reward for themselves.”

Organised by the Damaris Trust, GSF has been held each year since 2005 and is run in partnership with the Department for International Development (DFID), Christian Aid, World Vision and UNICEF. It helps school students think through spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues underlying global citizenship.

The theme for GSF 2009, which takes place in London on Tue 30 June, is child mortality.

"Each year millions of children die, from avoidable causes, before their fifth birthday," explained Nick Pollard. "Once again we will be inspiring and equipping sixth formers to take the message back to their schools and communicate creatively with their peers."