Those watching the current series of Celebrity Big Brother might be forgiven for thinking that young people today have little or no awareness of the wider world around them, let alone an interest in making it a better place.

Thankfully, Jade Goody et al are not totally representative of Britain's youth.

And in Bradford next week, dozens of youngsters who not only want to make a difference but can actually do so will be going to the hustings.

The district will be going to the polls to fill the 30 seats on the Bradford and Keighley Youth Parliament.

With voter turnout regularly hitting rock-bottom in the "grown-up" elections at local government and national level, this is both one way to tackle electorate apathy and to prove that young people are not, as some adults suspect, all bad.

Not only are the 56 candidates proving that they have a desire to progress change for the better in the district, the elections are open to all youngsters between the ages of 11 and 21 and the process gives them a valuable introduction to the democratic process on which this country is built.

What we look forward to seeing in 2007 is positive and concrete action from the members of the BKYP and a fostering of the feeling among young people that this organisation is a dynamic and useful one that attends to their needs and has real power.