A YOUNG South American is on his way to Otley - to spend the next few months with the town's older people.

Juan Martinez Angulo - Kiko to his friends - will spend six months with Otley Action for Older People (OAOP).

And during his time he will spend time helping out gardening, decorating and arranging special projects - including a possible Salsa evening.

Juan, 27, lives in Piura in the north west of Peru where he works in agriculture and forestry.

But after signing up with AFS International Youth Development, which sends young people overseas on community projects, he has lived in the United States and Chile.

And now, at the end of this month he is due to arrive in Otley.Stephanie Turner, OAOP's Live at Home co-ordinator, said everyone was looking forward to his arrival.

"We had a French exchange student last year but she was only here for three weeks and was office bound."

He will be doing everything like the gardening and decorating and hopefully he will get involved in taking on a special project like arranging a Salsa evening or some other social event.

"After spending three weeks on an induction course brushing up on his language skills, he will become just another OAOP volunteer.

Meanwhile, OAOP is busy looking for somewhere for Juan to stay during the six months.

Anyone able to help out should telephone Stephanie Turner at the OAOP office in Otley Civic Centre on (01943) 463965.