The first members of a Bradford task force aiming to help street children in Jamaica will jet out to the Caribbean next week.

Shakil Hussain, 23, and Mohammed Afzal Ashraf, 29, are the first successful applicants to the scheme.

Most British visitors to Jamaica stay on the beach but Shakil and Afzal, who is known as 'Leggy', will be hard at work.

Leggy, from West Bowling, will be using his construction skills to build dormitories at the Mighty Gully Youth Project in Old Harbour.

And Shakil, from Manningham, who is on a health traineeship, will be using his skills to speak to school children on the island about hygiene and sexual health.

Both will be based at the Mighty Gully Youth Project and will be helping to create a fish farm and basketball court at the complex. The project helps divert unemployed, unskilled young people from 'street life' by teaching them wood carving skills.

The pair will each stay a month before returning to Bradford to spread the word about the scheme to local young people.

Organiser Peter Tate, of Bradford Council youth service, has family ties to the island and has run a youth exchange there in the past.

His local knowledge enabled him to set up the scheme, using a grant from Age Concern, and the youngsters' travel costs are being funded by British Council Millennium Youth Awards. Eight have been signed up but more volunteers, aged 18-28, are needed.

"Most visitors do not see the real Jamaica. There are massive differences between rich and poor there," he said. "They will find they are working extremely hard on the project and I don't think they quite realise it yet!"

Shakil said: "I'll be teaching children how to keep themselves safe and about hygiene, I'm looking forward to it."

Leggy, who is unemployed and works as a volunteer youth worker at Macmillan Area Play Association, said he was looking forward to the experience even though it meant not seeing his baby son Sohail for a month.

The scheme is desperate for tools, especially wood carving tools, and any donations would be welcome. Contact Peter Tate on (01274) 752440 or 393741 to find out more.

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