Young people on a deprived Shipley estate have been praised for rolling up their sleeves and sprucing up a derelict site to make way for a new youth club.

The group, aged 13 to 19, of West Royd, rallied round friends to help them clean up land in Wood End Crescent for a new portable building.

And tomorrow they will be celebrating the launch of the new centre, which they have named The Royderz Pod, with a barbecue and table-top sale.

Youth worker Anji Dibb said she was impressed by the group's determination and hard work.

"They've done such a good job and they've shown others that if you put in the work you really can get results," she said. "They phoned me to tell me what they were doing and I was amazed to see so many of them digging and clearing the land. West Royd is a disadvantaged area and unfortunately a lot of work has to be done to improve its image. The young people have begun to break that mould and they should be applauded for it."

The group will initially meet on Tuesdays, from 6.30pm to 9pm, and drop-in sessions are also planned.

The aim is to train the young people to run the centre themselves and offer workshops to other teenagers.

Rebecca Hayton, 15, said she was proud to have been a part of the scheme.

"We've really started to change things up here and we want people to be proud of their neighbourhood," said the Salt Grammar School pupil.

Charlotte Brook, a 14-year-old Beckfoot School pupil, said: "We all decided that if we wanted something done we should do it ourselves. It looks brilliant and we're really pleased."

Councillor Phil Thornton (Lab, Shipley East) said West Royd was showing positive signs of improvement. "The community has been working together and it shows what can be done with a bit of effort and ingenuity," he added.

Funded by Bradford Youth Service, the new centre will provide workshops on a variety of topics, including sex education, anger management and health issues.

The party tomorrow starts at 2pm and residents are invited to look round the centre and find out about the group's work. Unwanted goods are welcome for the sale. For more details telephone Anji on 07764 978277.