A GROUP of girls who have pioneered an anti-bullying project have been praised for their award-winning scheme by GMTV presenter Ben Shephard.The Just Smile team - twins Ria and Ellice Bush, both 16, their sister Neola, 13 and Harriet Gilford, 15 - are all members of Watton Air Cadets and received £250 to help further develop their initiative from the Change It awards ceremony in London.

A GROUP of girls who have pioneered an anti-bullying project have been praised for their award-winning scheme by GMTV presenter Ben Shephard.

The Just Smile team - twins Ria and Ellice Bush, both 16, their sister Neola, 13 and Harriet Gilford, 15 - are all members of Watton Air Cadets and received £250 to help further develop their initiative from the Change It awards ceremony in London.

The girls have also won the Wham Project organised by the Norfolk Partners Against Crime Taskforce with their prize a Caribbean cruise.

The Bush sisters are pupils at Dereham Neatherd High School while Harriet attends Old Buckenham High School. All four had experienced bullying.

They set up a website with information and advice in both English and Portuguese and set up yellow Smile boxes for people to anonymously pass on information about bullying.

The girls are hoping to set up a registered charity and get their boxes copyrighted.

Ria said: “We had a long conversation with Ben and he played on our game and thought it was very impressive.

“We really enjoyed the day and met some lovely people and will use the money to help get out new smile boxes into schools across Norfolk and Suffolk and hopefully, in the future, nationwide. Every single winner fully deserved it and it was really good to find out what other young people are doing to help their local areas and why they are doing it.”