Young people in Bradford who risk being alienated from their community are to be given a share of a £1million lifeline.

The Millennium Commission has awarded the cash to the charity Rathbone to set up intensive programmes of training and volunteering in Bradford and four other areas around the country.

In Bradford, Rathbone will use a portion of the money to fund about 75 awards to young people between the ages of 16 and 24 at risk of social exclusion.

"The award will enable young people from Bradford who face social disadvantage to become more involved in their community," said Helen Aston, the charity's head of strategy and development.

"They will particularly be encouraged to take on a role of active citizenship within their community in which we all live and work." Rathbone is currently based at Longside Lane in Bradford, although will be moving to new premises in Cheapside later this week.

It will be running three-month intensive programmes targeted at young people from deprived backgrounds who have poor basic skills, or a history of exclusion or truancy.

The aim is to bolster their confidence as well as improve the feeling of community among local residents, reduce anti-social behaviour and improve access to mainstream society for minority groups.

Ultimately Rathbone hope to prevent social alienation among certain groups and reduce the number of young people drifting into crime.

A spokesman for Rathbone said this could involve projects as diverse as creating a woodland trail for a local parents' and toddlers' group or planting a community garden.

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