5:57pm Monday 8th February 2010
By Daniel Binns
DOZENS of teenagers in Loughton have pledged not to have sex for 12 weeks as part of a unique 'Romance Academy' being set up in the town.
Christian youth club Ignite, which is linked with St Mary's church in the High Road, hope the project will boost youngster's self-esteem with weekly sessions of talks, debates and activities to educate teens about sexual health and peer pressure.
The course is modelled on a BBC TV programme called 'No Sex Please, We're Teenagers' which was broadcast five years ago and has since expanded into a national movement.
Luke Lowrie, 25, who is the centre's children and youth pastor, said: “We decided to set up the academy because we've had quite a lot of our members coming to us saying alcohol and sex were the things they felt most pressured about in their lives.
“The response so far has been very positive, we've had more than 30 teenagers express an interest.
“The message we want to get across is that your identity isn't defined by whether you've had sex or not. It's not a rite of passage in becoming an adult, it is only something that matters in the context of a relationship.”
West Hatch sixth former Lewis Merle, 17, is one of those taking part.
He said: “I think I'm going to see everything about it as a challenge initially but I feel I'm about to reach a pinnacle in my life by turning 18 and I think it's going to help me a lot.
“In Chigwell there's this pressure and attitude where you've got to have the right car, got to be seen with the right people and got to act a certain way.
“I think it's a shame that nowadays a lot of people think that the only way to have fun is with alcohol and sex – there's more to life than that.”
Debden Park High School pupil Mollie McCarthy, 13, has also signed up.
She said: “I think the course will help me with situations that I might find myself in in the future.
“I think it's a good idea because there's a lot of peer pressure from people at my school and it will be good to learn how to deal with that.”
The first session of the academy starts later this month.
A Valentine Ball will also be held by the Ignite group for teenagers on Friday February 12. Visit www.igniteyouth.co.uk for more information.
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