BY IAN LEWIS

Advice and support on everything from teenage pregnancy and drug abuse to housing and employment is set to be offered at a pioneering centre for young people.

And if the proposed pilot project on the Windy Bank estate in Liversedge proves successful it could provide the blueprint for similar schemes across the district.

Based in the Youth Annexe at RM Grylls Middle School, the First Stop Shop project is being spearheaded by Kirklees Council's Community Development Service and Dewsbury Health Care NHS Trust. The service will be overseen by a steering group whose members will include representatives of the estate's young people.

It will offer a free and confidential advice, information, counselling and referral service to people aged 11 to 25 through regular drop-in sessions and appointments.

Gill Robinson, senior community development officer with the Council's Community Development Service, said: "Young people aged between ten and 24 account for 26 per cent of the estate's population but because the estate's so isolated they don't have any easy access to services.

"The idea came out of consultations we carried out through focus groups made up of young people on the estate.

"They said they felt they needed somewhere they could go to ask for confidential advice, information and support on a range of issues affecting their lives.

"It's being done as a pilot project so it could well be used as a model for future First Stop Shops in other areas.''

Kirklees Mayor Councillor Harry Fox (Lab, Spen) said: "Anything that Kirklees Council can do to encourage young people to help themselves is very welcome. I hope the young people on that estate will avail themselves of the First Stop Shop - sometimes a trouble shared is a trouble halved.''

It is hoped a final application for funding to set up and operate the project for two years will be made by this summer and that the scheme will be up and running later in the year. Members of the Council's Policy (Community Affairs) sub-committee will be asked to back a move to explore external funding sources for the scheme at their meeting at Cleckheaton Town Hall this evening.

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