A NEW group is being set up in a deprived area of Nelson to help provide youngsters with facilities and things to do.

The Bradley Young Adults group is the brainchild of ward councillor Donna Caley, who has lived in the area for more than 20 years.

The new association will be formally launched at a meeting this week but has already begun working in the community.

A football team - Hodge House FC - has been set up and the group took part in a litter clean-up in the ward this weekend.

The next big venture will be to turn a derelict patch of land in Devon Place, which has been a notorious grotspot for years, into a garden.

Coun Caley, a teacher at Accrington and Rossendale College, said: "I have lived in the area for a long time and I have always felt sorry for young people because there aren't many facilities for them and not many people seem to have any interest in them.

"I wanted to try and involve youngsters in the community and they have shown so much interest in wanting to help out, it has been great to see."

The group comprises 32 youngsters, 16 white and 16 Asian - a mix designed to help promote interaction between the communities.

Coun Caley is working with the police, who are planning a barbecue for the group, and the council, which is helping with advice and guidance to get funding.

She said: "It is early days for the group, but so far it is going very well and we have lots of plans for the future, including helping out at local events and possibly setting up a scheme where the group can help old people in their gardens.

"It's all about giving the youngsters a chance to get involved and be a part of the community they live in."