A COUNCIL'S innovative way to provide young people with advice has won national recognition.

The 'What Now?' service run by Lancashire County Council, reached the national heats of British Telecom's Telephone Helpline Association's Annual Awards.

The service scooped runners-up prize in the "Most dynamic method of reaching a target audience" for its Burnley Football Club players' cards scheme.

The What Now? team worked with Burnley Football Club and Burnley Community Safety Partnership to produce wallcharts and player cards, which were given out at Turf Moor and other local venues.

The cards, which include details of the What Now? service, as well as details of initiatives such as Crimestoppers, can be collected to complete the wallchart of players.

Interactive Services Manager for What Now? Sue Shinman, said: "By linking our helpline to football it was the ideal way to provide information to a target audience without preaching to them."

The What Now? service was created in 1988 when a team of unemployed people got together in Accrington and decided they wanted to help others in the same predicament.

Thanks to funding from the county council, an information centre was set-up in Accrington which led to all of Lancashire's young people being able to access help through a 24-hour and 365 days a year phone line, an on-line service and text facility.

Sue Shinman and Email Service Manager Marilyn Aspden, who worked on the players' card initiative, attended the awards ceremony at the BT headquarters in London.