Bradford's citizens were today asked to dig deep into their pockets to help young people develop their entrepreneurial skills and to help cancer sufferers.

The district's first citizen is hoping his year in office will attract charitable fund-raising to help youngsters who need jobs, training and interests to keep them amused.

And the Lord Mayor's appeal should also help to finance Macmillan nurses in their care of cancer sufferers.

The new Lord Mayor, Councillor Ghazanfer Khaliq, has picked two hugely different charities for his civic appeal and believes both will make a vast difference to thousands of people.

The funds will make all the difference to people suffering from cancer at all stages and to young people desperately trying to leave the dole queues and set up their own businesses.

The Prince's Trust - founded by the Prince of Wales 25 years ago - has already helped more than 40 young people to set up businesses over the past year.

But the Trust's regional fundraising manager, Meg Plummer, said many more could be helped - if only they could get the money to do it.

The Bradford Macmillan appeal, which was launched this year, will receive a massive boost to its fundraising by Coun Khaliq's decision to make it his official charity.

Appeal manager Michelle Norcliffe said they aimed to raise £500,000 to provide seven posts for three years, after which the NHS Trust has agreed to take up long term funding. The charity was set up in 1911 by Douglas Macmillan who was distressed about the way his father suffered and died from the illness.

It started off with a small charity which mushroomed nationwide with thousands of people benefiting from specially trained nurses. The Prince of Wales is now president of the Trust.

The nurses deal with every aspect of the illness from diagnosis to sufferers in the final stages, giving pain relief and symptom control as well as people who will recover.

The emotional, as well as the physical aspects, are dealt with and the nurses pass their knowledge on in hospitals and into the community.

Coun Khaliq's decision to raise funds for the Prince's Trust follows recent disturbances in Lidget Green, which he feels indicated the need to help the youngsters, who are Bradford's future.

The Prince of Wales still takes an enormous interest in the projects and organisers say he is more interested in being with young people and talking to them than taking part in high profile official visits.

Business manager Tony Wilson said most of the young people trying to set up businesses had been turned away from the usual funding sources and went to the Prince's Trust as a last resort.

He said there had been huge success stories in the region, including Dylan Wilkes who set up Game Play and Julie Dedman who set up with a £2,000 grant as a milk analyst before selling out her business for millions of pounds.

She is now chairman of the West Yorkshire fundraising committee but Mr Wilson stressed that although they had been brilliant, the smaller schemes were just as much of an achievement.

He said: "Anyone who builds up a business which pays the bills and gives satisfaction and enjoyment has done just as well and we are just as pleased about it."

The Trust also runs personal development and volunteer programmes where youngsters help the community, learn skills and experience work as a team.

Mrs Plummer said: "Many young people dream of working for themselves, but can't get the money to start up on their own. The Prince's Trust is the only place they can turn to. We offer low interest loans, grants and ongoing support and mentoring to help get these young people off the ground.

"We also provide financial support and guidance to young people to help them achieve personal goals, such as paying for tools so they can take up training courses."

She said over the next year they aimed to set up 30 new businesses and three volunteer programmes in the Bradford district.

"Our motto is 'Yes You Can' and we are thrilled that Bradford is going to be able to say that to many more of its young people, aged 14 to 30, thanks to the Lord Mayor's Appeal."

Coun Khaliq, a father-of-four, who is Bradford's second Asian Lord Mayor, said: "The recent disturbances in Bradford reinforced my view that the young people need the help and opportunities to achieve their potential in many areas, and not just employment.

"I thought it would be a good step to raise funds for the Bradford Macmillan Appeal as it is going to mean a lot to so many people in Bradford. They need as much support as we can give them."

Anyone who wants to give a donation or organise an event for the appeal should contact Brenda Lockwood at the Lord Mayor's Appeal Office, City Hall, Bradford BD1 1HY, or ring Bradford 754965.

People wanting information about the Prince's Trust can ring 0800 842842 and the Macmillan Appeal Fund says people needing information can ring 0845 601 6161.