APATHETIC villagers are being summoned to appear before a village trust with their ideas for spending £200,000 on the young people of the community.

Bramhope Educational Trust is holding its first annual general meeting on October 2 to discuss how it is to spend its £205,000 fund on facilities for the youth of Bramhope.

But trustees fear no-one in the village is interested in taking on the organisation of a youth project.

Since the trust was set up in 1999 to administer cash from Leeds City Council's sale of the Breary Lane youth club building, the trust has been unable to give its money away. Despite repeated appeals, few applications have been received.

Now chairman Geoff Mills is trying shock tactics in a bid to shake people into action.

He has spread eye-catching posters - which accuse villagers of apathy - around many of the shops and noticeboards in the village.

The aim is to bring residents to the meeting to discuss ideas and consider forming a group to push for youth facilities.

Mr Mills said: "I have sent invitations to all the groups and organisations in the village, our Leeds City Council ward councillors and the parish council.

"I hope they can attend. We do need to get the dialogue moving about provision of youth facilities in the village and get some ideas together."

Villagers wrote to the Wharfedale Observer earlier this year claiming youngsters with nothing to do were at risk of turning to crime.

And parish councillors echoed their concerns after discovering bored teenagers may have been responsible for damaging playground equipment at the parish council-owned Knoll play area.

The meeting will take place at the Robert Craven Memorial Hall, Bramhope, at 7.30pm on Monday October 2.