The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson last night celebrated the launch of a new civic service programme, The Challenge, that inspires young people from diverse backgrounds to come together and serve their community.

The programme, trialed this summer with 160 16-year olds in Southwark and North Hammersmith, plans to grow to work with 50,000 young people by 2015.

The Challenge is a fantastic civic service programme. To see such diverse teams of young people serving their community together is inspiring. I would like to see The Challenge made available to young people across London”, said The Mayor.

Craig Morley, Chief Executive of The Challenge Network that delivers the programme said,

“The Challenge is a civic service programme like no other. We take young people from diverse backgrounds and throw them in at the deep end. They take on teamwork and leadership challenges that prepare them to design and deliver a project of their own that will bring their community together.”

The Mayor words were spoken at the graduation event for the young people who had successfully completed the pilot programme. One of the graduates commented, “This has been an amazing experience – I really changed the way I think about myself and other people and made me realize how much I can actually achieve.

• A parent commented, “I’ve already told my friends that you have to send your child on The Challenge as it’s giving something back to the community. It makes them a more rounded person and it’s such a brilliant experience.