YORK’S Independent Living and Travel Skills Service (Yilts) is celebrating its tenth birthday.

The City of York Council-run Yilts initiative was set up in 2004, originally to support a small group of young people based at Fulford School to enable them to become independent travellers.

Since then the service has expanded to work with vulnerable young people aged between 11 and 25 across the city in both primary and secondary schools and a variety of sixth-form placements. The aim is to provide them with practical support so that they can travel independently to school or college.

Peta Hatton, Yilts coordinator, City of York Council, said: “Being able to travel independently gives the young people so much confidence and enables them to take a full part in life in York as they move into adulthood and employment. It gives them and their families more options when planning personalised budgets. The scheme also has financial benefits because it reduces the need for specialised transport.”

Yilts now works in partnership with Streamline Taxis and First York Buses, with the companies providing a member of staff to support the young people, bus passes for the youngsters to use during their training and a bus to take older students out on trips, respectively.