A special volunteering scheme which aims to give young people a life-changing experience has recruited 17 new people in Bradford.

The nationwide programme Vtalent Year wants to help up to 30 young volunteers in the district over a two-year period.

Bradford Council was one of 33 local authorities to receive funding last year to set up and run the scheme, receiving a £250,000 grant to do so.

The 17 young volunteers are aged 16 to 25 and have been awarded placements in youth work, social care and early years, childcare and play.

They can be lone parents, out of work, university graduates, looking for a career in youth, nursery, play or social work or who are at a loose end and wanting to help other young people.

Their volunteering placements are 30 hours a week over 44 weeks and include a level two National Vocational Qualification and personal development grant for each person.

They also receive up to £100 a week for expenses and subsistence.

The scheme gives them valuable experience of being in a work setting and can help them gain better access to employment or training, giving some of the volunteers a stepping stone into careers. It also builds on confidence and self-esteem.

Over the summer the volunteers will be involved in a number of activities including a Champions Challenge summer camp in the Yorkshire Dales, summer holiday playschemes and a play camp at Blackhills campsite in Cottingley, Bingley.

Councillor Ralph Berry, Bradford Council’s executive member for children’s services and education, said the programme could not only give them a live-changing experience but could also help them find a career at the end of it.

He said: “Taking part in this scheme gives young people a chance to make a real difference to their own as well as other people’s lives.

“The kind of experience it gives them could be a stepping stone into a rewarding career.”