Members of Aldbourne Youth Council have scooped one of the country’s top awards for young people’s groups for a second time.

The youth council won a Philip Lawrence Award at the Princess Anne Theatre in Piccadilly on Tuesday and members were stunned when they heard they were the winners.

Adult trustee Andy Devey, who travelled to London with about 20 youth council members for the ceremony, said: “There was not so much cheering when the results were announced – more of a stunned silence.”

Youth council chairman Matt Gibbs, 19, said: “To say we are delighted is an understatement and we are so proud because we have won it twice.”

The youth council won the award for its CAN project, an internet cafe the youngsters have set up in a redundant part of the village’s public toilets teaching villagers, many of them elderly, how to use computers.

In 2006 the youth council won its first Philip Lawrence Award – given to recognise outstanding achievement by young people aged 11 to 18 – for setting up a BMX track in Aldbourne, with little help from grown-ups.

On Tuesday another youth group from Slough also won a second Philip Lawrence Award, named in memory of the London headmaster fatally stabbed in 1977 trying to protect one of his pupils, but that was for the same racism awareness project which won it an award in 2002.

Matt Gibbs said: “I believe we are the only group ever to win two awards for two different projects, which makes us even more pleased.”

Nine youth groups from across the UK received Philip Lawrence Awards on Tuesday presented by his widow Frances helped by former TV newsreader Sir Trevor Macdonald and Michael Goves, Secretary of State for Education.

The youth council members returned home with a large trophy, individual trophies and £1,000 which, said Matt, they would probably invest in new equipment in the CAN.

Yesterday Mr Devey praised the youth council members and said: “They are a great bunch of kids and this was a well deserved award.

“After getting back last night we all had a celebration in The Crown together with those members who had not been able to come up to London but in January we are going to hold a proper party for everyone involved.”

The awards citation said: “Aldbourne Youth Council transformed their village’s old public toilets into a welcoming internet cafe for the community.

“These young people are bringing generations together, taking responsibility, and creating an inspiring model that they hope others will adopt.”