A pioneering project aimed at letting youths shape the lives of their peers has been launched in Bradford.

Eighteen Community Safety Workers will form the Inner City Youth Team and act as mentors and role models for young people.

The group, from all walks of life, will embark on a two-year traineeship which will equip them with a range of skills including communication, housing, drugs awareness and to study further education modules.

They will help develop ideas for youths across the city in areas including West Bowling, Canterbury, Girlington and Manningham.

The project has been given a £100,000 cash injection from the West Yorkshire Police Authority. It was set up with the help of a number of agencies including the police, Bradford and District Safer City Project and Bradford Council.

Bradford Police Community and Race Relations Inspector Martin Baines believes the scheme will touch the lives of many people throughout Bradford.

He said: "We are able to empower young people to develop and to make a positive difference not only in their own lives but within the community.

Divisional Commander for Toller Lane Police, Superintendent John Crosse, said the scheme fulfilled police aims to work in partnership with other groups, youths and working with people from ethnic minorities.

The youths were picked for their "street cred and life skills,'' said Youth Team Project Co-ordinator Heather Esiri.

"We were looking for people who could communicate with young people, enthusiastic, and potential leaders.

She believes the workers will have no problem in promoting a positive message to its audience.

"I think it is easier for youths to discuss issues with people their own age or younger, they tend to listen more, as opposed to talking to someone a lot older," said Mrs Esiri.

"At the end of the two years they will have a wide range of options available to them. They may want to take up further education, continue working in the youth and community sector or join the police and probation service," she said.

These sentiments are shared by the workers.

Twenty-two-year-old Ataur Ali, of Manningham, said he grew up around violence.

"Sometimes you wouldn't even be asking for trouble but it found you," he said.

"I was involved in a lot of fights and had a lot of peer pressure and was a regular visitor at the police station," said Ataur.

He left school at the age of 15 and foolishly believed he could find a job.

"You know what its like, when you're a teenager you think you know it all and don't want to listen to anyone.

"I had no qualifications, but knew I wanted to work with children, but had no experience so I did voluntary work," he said.

While working at the Bangladeshi Youth Organisation, in Manningham, he helped spearhead a number of projects to help clean up the area and keep youths off the streets and involved in fun activities.

When he heard the scheme was looking for workers, he jumped at the chance to secure a place and is now looking forward to the next two years on the scheme.

"For the first time in my life I have options; I can work with youths or go on to further education," he said.

Melissa Simpson, 23, of Wrose, said she was delighted to be on the course.

She became pregnant at 15 and left school without any qualifications.

"It was then that I realised there were no facilities for me and that's when I got involved with youth work," she said.

She began to study for a GNVQ in Health and Social Care, and spent two weeks at Odsal police station, when she heard about the scheme.

"It was a chance to get hands on experience and to try and give me the opportunity to make a better life for my son Dominic and the people around me," she said.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.