Students Rebecca Luke and Laura Smith, both 18, and student liaison officer Liam Davis with the money management advice cards which they handed out to shoppers at the Zen clothes shop in the Stratford Centre.

Students helped shoppers make the most of their budgets by offering them handy tips about how to spend wisely during the recession.

The six teenagers from Newham College managed to hand out money management information to more than 150 customers at the Stratford Centre.

The students used the clothes store Zen as a base to target consumers as part of a national competition called the Money for Life Challenge.

The contest, which is run by the Lloyds Banking Group, aims to teach young people in education about how to stay in control of their personal finances.

As part of the event at the shopping centre in Broadway on March 1, the teenagers researched consumer law and finances to draw up a list of bullet points to advise shoppers.

Then they handed out the information on small cards that could be tucked into a purse or wallet.

Health and social care student Rebecca Luke, 18, of Forest Gate, said: “Money management is extremely important now, especially since everyone is struggling. If you’re young, it’s better to know how to deal with money.”

And fellow student, 18-year-old Laura Smith from Stratford, said she has changed her shopping habits after attending a Barclays Bank money management workshop which took place at the college’s East Ham campus in High Street South.

“They told me more about keeping receipts and bank statements together so you know what’s going out and what’s coming in,” she said. “I have a better idea about where my money has gone.”

Newham College, in Welfare Road, Stratford, supported the project by donating £300 and its student liaison officer, Liam Davis, said: “We’re keen to get students to do something that’s beneficial for the community. We wanted a project that was new, original and that helps Newham’s diverse community.”