A CHARITY in York has won a £160,000 grant to get young people involved in volunteer work.

York Volunteer Centre, part of York CVS, is one of only 20 organisations in the country to have been handed the funding by youth volunteering charity V.

The two-year project, run from the charity's Priory Street base, aims to get more than 500 young people involved in helping the community.

Charlie Sanders, from York Volunteer Centre, said: "It will have an absolutely enormous impact because there are many more people who could get involved in doing more to help the community.

"The positive effect on the community will be huge.

"We really want to tailor it to what the young people would enjoy and what they would like."

Groups of young people aged between 16 and 25 will be recruited to form Youth Action Teams to plan, apply for funding and carry out volunteering activities.

Ms Sanders said the project, which will have two members of staff, could include setting up dance and drama groups.

She said: "I think it is going to be fantastic for the community. We are really pleased to have this opportunity to work with young people in York." The project will be launched at a meeting to be held tomorrow at the Priory Street Centre, between 10am and 11.30am.

Organisations and groups in York are being invited along to find out how they can get involved.

There are also plans for a presentation evening on December 12 to celebrate youth volunteering that is already happening in the city.

Kate Tayler, of York CVS, said: "We are really excited about the possibilities for working with young people and a huge range of organisations in York.

"We are aiming to involve several hundred young people over the life of the project very much focusing on the type of community activities that they want to do, but working with community organisations as well.

"We want to make a difference, not only to the young people, but also to the community."