A NEW charitable club for youngsters has become the largest of its kind in the country, even before its first official meeting.

The district's newest Leo Club - the youth arm of Lions Clubs International - has been set up at the Dixons Kings Academy in Northside Road, Bradford.

The Bradford Central Kings Leo Club held its inaugural meeting yesterday at the Bradford Hotel, Hall Ings, where the first 75 members were formally inducted.

It has become only the second Leo Club in Yorkshire, alongside a similar group in Todmorden in Calderdale, but has already become the largest in the country, according to Amin Dada, who helped to set it up.

Leo Clubs can either be formed within schools or within communities, and are sponsored by local Lions Clubs. The new Leo Club is being sponsored by Bradford Central Lions Club, and is aimed at those aged 12 to 18.

Mr Dada, of Great Horton, said he founded the Bradford Central Lions Club in 2013, and after a visit to Dixons Kings Academy, he had been asked if he could help the children with their leadership skills.

He said: "I said, rather than doing that, we may as well form a young Leo Club."

The group recruited members following a presentation given by Bradford Central Lions Club members at the school last November.

Thirteen-year-old Ibtisam Khanum, of Bradford, has been elected to serve as the first president of the new club.

She said: "We are excited to give back to our community. Through this important work, we plan to make a difference in our community."

Sara Ali, of Bradford, will serve as the first club secretary.

The Bradford Central Kings Leo Club plans to become involved with a food bank which the Central Lions Club work with at Save the Mothers Trust in Bradford.

Leo Club members will also be helping to organise events and raise funds for the Bradford Hospitals Children’s Charity, which are the sponsoring club’s major projects. They will help out with the organisation of a sponsored walk at Lister Park, Bradford, on May 24.

The Bradford Central Kings Leo Club will meet on first Thursday of the month at 3.30pm at Kings Dixons Academy.

The first Leo club was set up in 1957 in Pennsylvania, USA.

Lions clubs now sponsor more than 5,700 Leo clubs in 140 countries. While helping others in their community, Leos develop leadership skills and experience teamwork in action.

Visit the Leo Zone section of the Lions website at www.lionsclubs.org for more information about Leo Clubs.