A group of young people with a vision of hope stretching to Pakistan are aiming to take a Bradford charity to new levels by creating opportunities for young people at home and abroad.

The Save the Mothers Trust (SMT), which is based in Oak Lane, Manningham, Bradford, was set up as a charity in 2003 by a group of young volunteers who wanted to take their work in community further afield.

Before gaining charity status the group provided support and activities for young people in deprived areas of the city such as Manning-ham and Girlington. And by linking with a charity in Pakistan the youngsters also began to help people in deprived area across the globe become more self-sufficient.

By providing money and volunteers to set up orphanages, hospitals and career and education centres, SMT hopes to give people in Pakistan more of a chance to help themselves.

And the remarkable fact about the charity is most of the organisers and volunteers are teenagers or young adults themselves.

"We are all young, the majority of volunteers are young, most of us are doing our A-Levels," said 18-year-old volunteer Ibral Hussain who hopes to study law at university next year.

Work abroad is carried out through a series of links with other organisations.

SMT helped with the initial relief effort following the earthquake in Pakistan, and the group is now back on track on its plans to build orphanages and hospitals.

"We were going to start on orphanages soon anyway, but the earthquake accelerated the process," said 21-year-old dentistry student Zaroon Hussain.

But the intensive work overseas does not mean the group has forgotten its original projects in Bradford, according to Ibral, a student at Dixons City Academy.

SMT plans to offer an extra curricular service to pupils who need to better their grades or need access to resources unavailable at home.

"Young people in the Manningham and Girlington areas are not achieving the average GCSE-levels," he said. "This could be for a number of reasons, such as a lack of resources.

"We hope to be able to provide those resources with mentors and a comfortable learning environment."

The group is also keen to provide more opportunities for ethnic-minority women aged 16 and above.

"We want to give access to education for post-16 women who might not otherwise pursue an education because of traditional commitments," said Ibral.

The charity, which it is hoped will expand to Keighley soon, acquires all its funding through collections across the UK and one-off donations. "We have had a good year and it's all down to the commitment of the volunteers who keep it going," Zaroon said.

For more information about SMT log on to www.smtrust.com or telephone (01274) 487429.