A YOUNG single mum from Southampton had her name broadcast to millions of people around the world during Tony Blair's keynote speech to the Labour Party conference.

Mother of two Holly Vincent, 19, from Canberra Towers in Weston, was cited by Mr Blair as a success story when he praised the government's SureStart programme during his crucial speech at Bournemouth.

He said: "The other day I met Holly in Southampton, a teenage mum.

"Now, with SureStart and with child care, she has been given help to study so she can become a midwife so another mother can benefit.

"To invest in people like her is not a cost. It is an investment in our future."

Holly said she watched the Prime Minister's speech at a friend's house although she did not really believe her name would be mentioned.

She said: "They told me they were going to do it and had to get my permission but I did think I was not going to be on."

Mr Blair met Holly when he visited Weston's SureStart programme last weekend.

He played with Holly's daughter, 21-month-old Katelyn, on the slide at the project's recently- built adventure playground.

Holly, who also has an eight-month-old son, William, told the Daily Echo: "Mr Blair was really down to earth and friendly.

"He was not at all like you expect politicians to be.

"He was helping me hold my daughter on the slide. He was really nice."

Holly said that joining the SureStart programme had given her the confidence to leave her two children with childminders at the project.

She had attended the "New Opportunities for Women" course run at SureStart.

She is currently completing an access course at Itchen College and now plans to goto Southampton University next September to study midwifery.

Her midwifery degree will be funded by the NHS.

She added: "I did not actually vote at the last election because I was not old enough at the time but I will be voting Labour now."

Councillor Liz Mizon, Southampton City Council's Cabinet member for communities and regeneration, said: "Southampton has benefited from a wide range of regeneration and funding projects and the visits were both a recognition of that and a recognition of our success."