A welcoming and friendly service that deals with young people’s sexual health issues has been awarded a quality mark.

The Avenue drop-in clinic in Eastbourne has met the high standards set out by the Department of Health for providing friendly and appropriate health care to young people.

To achieve the You’re Welcome accreditation, the clinic had to provide a self assessment showing that health care services provided are appropriate and that staff are welcoming to young people.

Cllr Sylvia Tidy, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for children and families, said: “The You’re Welcome accreditation is testament to the work of staff at The Avenue. It sends a message to young people that this is a safe and welcoming place where they can feel comfortable discussing personal issues.”

The Avenue offers health screening for sexually transmitted infections like HIV or Chlamydia, contraception advice and pregnancy testing. It runs drop in sessions between 8.30am and 7pm.