HOMELESS and vulnerable youngsters will soon have a shoulder to cry on (write BRIAN GOMM).

The Leigh and Wigan Young People's Homelessness Project is setting-up shop in Leigh.

Manned by expert advisers it aims to arrest a disturbing increase in the number of single homeless.

The £100,000 per annum project wants to steer them away from drifting into drug dangers and life on the streets.

Project chairman George Bridge told The Journal the people they aimed to help were not necessarily living rough but might be in unsuitable and insecure accommodation.

He said: "We aim to find out what their real needs are to prevent the situation worsening. Our one-stop advice centre will point them in the right direction as to who can best address their problems."

Help for them is on hand at various outlets in the area but the new advice centre - which will be in the middle of Leigh - will put them in contact with those 'in the know'.

The project has the backing of National Children's Home, the Prince's Trust, Coalfield Challenge, Health Services, County Palatine Housing Association, Wigan Social Services and Housing departments and the Citizens' Advice Bureau.

Director of Housing Peter Gee told The Journal:"In overall terms we have a reducing process in the number of homeless. But it is quite significant the numbers of homeless in the 16-25 age group is increasing.

"We are very supportive of moves to address the situation."

And estimates suggest 80 per cent of those in this category are within the 16-25 age group.

Borough-wide figures show single homeless numbers have risen from 903 in 1993/4 to 1,322 over the past 12 months. Over the same period the numbers of homeless families and couples has fallen from 2,533 to 2,112.

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