FINSBURY teenager Michael Potten visited 10 Downing Street and met Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the launch of a school-leavers programme.

FINSBURY teenager Michael Potten visited 10 Downing Street and met Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the launch of a school-leavers programme.

Michael, 19, of Old Street, Finsbury, is now preparing to jet off to Brazil after winning a place on the prestigious Prime Minister's Global Fellowship.

He was one of 100 school and college leavers from across England who were officially named as Fellowship participants.

The 100 Fellows met Prime Minister Gordon Brown as well as Radio One DJ, Nihal, who is a British Council Board member, at the event.

The programme was created to nurture talent in young people.

The youngsters will spend six weeks in China, India or Brazil this summer to immerse themselves in the local culture and economy.

Michael said: "The launch was fantastic. It gave me my first real insight into what I'll be doing in Brazil and I'm excited.

"We were given an introduction on Brazil and I now know how to count to 10, order drinks and food, introduce people and greet people in Portuguese."

Gordon Brown said "I want a Britain in which every young person has the opportunities to harness their talent.

"This programme sends a message to young people that they can learn about the world and develop their business skills. It will develop the skills that our young people will need to make Britain a success story in the future."

Earlier this year Michael was crowned EC1 Young Person of the Year at EC1 New Deal's Pride in our People awards.