HUNDREDS of Winchester schoolchildren heard how young lives could be saved simply by regular self-checks.

Charity campaigner Kris Hallenga gave three presentations for more than 600 pupils at Henry Beaufort, Kings’ and Westgate secondary schools last week.

Kris was diagnosed with terminal cancer five years ago aged just 23, and has since campaigned to raise awareness of the issue amongst the young.

Her CoppaFeel! charity encourages girls and boys to examine themselves, looking for the tell-tale lumps that can be cancerous.

CoppaFeel! launched the Rethink Cancer campaign which calls for school pupils to be educated about the signs and risks of the disease.

Also at the presentations was city MP Steve Brine, who is chairman of the parliamentary All-Party Breast Cancer Group.

He arranged for the Coppafeel! group to have lunch with Prof Joy Carter, vice-chancellor at the university.

Mr Brine said: “This is a subject I feel so passionately about and as soon as I met Kris I wanted to help her and the charity she leads. This day was more than any of us could have hoped for, especially the response from Joy Carter at the university.

"I hope the young people we met found it interesting and useful, and if just one person, or a member of their family, is helped by what we are doing it will be worth it.”

Kris said: “The young people have been awesome, and I think we’ve done well as they seem to have really taken in what we had to say about cancer.”