YOUNG people in Ryedale have been slaving away at their computers as part of an ambitious information project.

From today, an innovative website will be up and running, offering advice and information on a huge range of subjects.

The £18,000 scheme, overseen by Ryedale Child and Youth Project and funded with grant aid, has been put together by young people for young people.

A £9,000 cash boost from Ryedale Regeneration Partnership, £6,600 from the Local Network Fund, £1,500 from Safer Ryedale and a donation of £700 from the York Diocese all helped make the project possible.

More than 1,100 Ryedale youngsters took part in a survey, and the result is www.4-kool.info, a place for young people in the area to log on and get information.

Maintaining and developing the site will be down to the district's young people, with help from the Child and Youth Project's Andy Brown.

The group hopes to work with clubs across Ryedale by making short videos all about activities on offer in the area. Videos will then be added to the website for people to view and clubs to update.

Mr Brown said: "By getting clubs to update and maintain their own pages we are keeping costs down and spreading the work of making this new website up to

date and interesting.

"We are also hoping it will increase membership of local youth clubs by encouraging youngsters to go along and find out more for themselves."

So far the website has got the thumbs-up from youngsters.

Amanda Wilson, 15, from Norton, said: "I think it is a really good site, it is important for young people in Ryedale to be able to access information about things such as sexual health and drugs."

When young people use the site they are taken on a virtual tour of a typical teenager's room.

By clicking on different sections they are then taken to different areas of the site.

Norton teenager Lyndsay Buckle, also 15, said: "I think the front page is a very good idea, I like the idea of a teenager's bedroom."

Updated: 08:59 Wednesday, May 28, 2003