Last Friday I watched a video made by a group of young women from across High Peak who have formed a successful self-help group. What united them is that they all are or were teenage mothers. We were celebrating the launch of a film about their group, at a church in New Mills.

Teenage motherhood is generally frowned upon and some of the women spoke of the verbal abuse they endure from time to time. They spoke of being socially excluded and in some cases even rejected by their families. Most advise their contemporaries to put back having a child until (at least) finishing their education, but not one was irresponsible in their own attitude to parenthood. Contrary to the popular image, many had loyal and supportive partners.

Having a child young is not a crime. Allowing our children to get into the situation where their unmet emotional needs or contraceptive ignorance lead invariably to child birth is more reprehensible.

A dozen women, the oldest now in their mid-twenties, the youngest 16, told us how important the group was to them. The words ‘confidence’ and ‘friendship’ were mentioned often.

They meet weekly in Gamesley, under the auspices of High Peak Community Housing’s Inclusion Officer Jackie Hey. They organise days out, charity fundraising and supportive activities. They put on an Oxfam shop fashion show at the One World Festival last summer and recently won funding to take their message to schools. They will talk to other young women about their experiences. Their message will be ‘be sensible’.

Last year I welcomed this group to Parliament. They knew that they did not have all the skills and knowledge that they needed for life but were determined to make the best of what they had for their children’s sakes. I was pleased to see these remarkable women again last week, that same positive atmosphere prevailing.