Volunteers will be reaching out to help Bradfordians after three months of charity work in Central Asia.

Nine youngsters from across the UK and nine from Uzbekistan are undertaking three months of volunteer work by immersing themselves in a range of community and social projects.

The 18 to 25-year-olds arrived from Bukhara, in the Central Asian country, where they were supporting a school for pupils with spina bifida, a kindergarten and an orphanage.

They were based 1,000km from Andijan, where 745 people were killed in May as the government quashed an uprising.

As National Volunteer Week draws to a close, the group will start aiding organisations in the district including the Marie Curie hospice at Leeds Road, Bradford Environmental Action Trust, Ripple Ed, the drugs education unit, Play Space in Manningham, Bradford Council for Mosques, Spring Field Community Centre, Thornbury Refugee Centre and St Christopher's Church in Holme Wood.

Jack Hargreaves, 20, from London, whose mother was born in Bradford, will be joining the refugee project. He said: "I last visited Bradford during the height of the riots in 2001. It has changed so much since then. I'll be working to change attitudes regarding refugees. There are a lot of misconceptions associated with them."

He added: "Bukhara was an amazing experience. We got to experience another culture and the whole project is a once in a life time opportunity."

The scheme was disrupted temporarily as armed forces clashed with protestors in Andijan.

Abi Horsfield, project co-ordinator, said: "We were quite far from all the trouble. The difficulty was that two of our volunteers had family in Andijan so we had to make sure they were safe. The reality was that there was more news here than over there. We were in daily contact with the foreign office and had to be vigilant."

The scheme has been co-ordinated in partnership with Voluntary Services Overseas, The British Council and Community Service Volunteers. Volunteering is being encouraged nationwide in 2005 as part of the Year of The Volunteer.

Miss Horsfield said: "There is a huge culture of volunteering in Bradford which made it the perfect place to bring the youngsters. There are many agencies that need help."

She said in a city with diverse ethnic communities, the volunteers working together provided a positive role model.

She added: "Volunteering is something that everyone should do. It builds confidence and skills and makes you feel good about being you."