The new Lord Mayor of Bradford has appealed to Keighley people and organisations to help youngsters on outdoor adventure courses.

Councillor Allan Hillary has chosen Bradford Outward Bound Association and the Nell Bank Centre, at Ben Rhydding, as his joint charity appeal this year.

The Nell Bank outdoor centre was set up in 1977 as part of the appeal of that year's Lord Mayor Paul Hockney.

The centre, which stands on a 17-acre site by the River Wharfe, offers outdoor and environmental projects for youngsters, aged between six and 16 years old.

Activities available, which include orienteering, team building and moorland studies, are offered to schools, community groups and teams of disabled youngsters.

The Bradford Outward Bound Association helps to raise money to give young adults, aged 16 to 25, the chance to take part in outdoor activities. This year the association worked with Bradford Youth Service to enable a team of youngsters to climb Mount Kilimanjaro as part of a project called Hit the Roof of Africa.

Cllr Hillary, speaking during a visit this week to the Keighley News offices, said: "The two charities for young people was a very easy choice for the lady mayoress and myself.

"We believe that if you are going to help young people, and there is an old proverb that the future is in our youth, then you have to do something about it.

"The last census showed that Bradford was a very young area compared with many of its near neighbours. We felt that we would have to think of something that would appeal to them and challenge them."

He added that because there were no wages to pay at the voluntary-run organisations, all the proceeds of his appeal would go straight to their beneficiaries.

The Lord Mayor is also championing the uniformed organisations, such as Scouts and Guides. He will be attending an event at Centenary Square, Bradford, on September 20, to exhibit the attraction of the Scouts.

Cllr Hillary, himself a former Scout, said: "I know it is no longer seen as a cool thing to join the Scouts but they have so much to offer."

Picture shows: Lord Mayor Cllr Allan Hillary chatting to journalism intern Barkha Bahl during his visit to the Keighley News offices