ROBERT Blake Science College's Erin Callaghan admitted all the hard work was certainly worth it after her extracurricular efforts were rewarded by London 2012 gold medallist Ed McKeever.

Callaghan was one of the star attractions at the University of Exeter's Great Hall on Monday evening as over 100 young legacy leaders took centre stage to celebrate and showcase their fantastic work on the Get Set to Make a Change programme since October last year.

The Get Set to Make a Change programme, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, saw youngsters keep the spirit of London 2012 alive with 14-year-old Callaghan and Robert Blake Science College certainly doing that - fulfilling a pledge to encourage more disabled people into sport.

Their hard work didn't go unnoticed with sprint canoeist McKeever, who won K1 200m gold at London 2012, as well as retired Paralympic 2012 gold medal-winning adaptive rower Naomi Riches, handing Robert Blake Science College an award to commemorate the youngsters' efforts at a red carpet event.

And after coming up close and personal with two stars of British sport, Callaghan was left pinching herself as to just how far the Get Set to Make a Change programme had taken her and her classmates.

“Our Get Set to Make a Change pledge was to involve our school next door, Elmwood, which is a disability school, and get them into more sports,” said Callaghan.

“We tried playing things like basketball and simple things like bean bags into hoops to test and develop their co-ordination skills.

“I learned to have better leadership and team work skills and I found it easier to work with people.

“The celebration event has been good because we've got to meet new people and try new activities as well as meet Ed and Naomi who have been really helpful.

“We also went up on stage to get everyone involved in doing the heads shoulders knees and toes dance to test people's co-ordination and demonstrate the kind of things we were doing in our pledge.

“I'm a dancer and a gymnast so I'm used to being up on stage but this was a chance to learn to speak in front of other people and develop my confidence skills.”

Through GSTMC, the British Olympic Foundation, in conjunction with the British Paralympic Association is using the spirit of the London Games to re-inspire young people across the UK.

The project is being supported by a £2.5m grant from the Big Lottery Fund's Keeping the Spirit of 2012 Alive campaign. http://www.makeachange.org.uk/