A new Ryedale project will see young people from the region head for London next month - but not as tourists.

Instead, they will experience first-hand the often gritty reality of big city life in what has been titled 'The Alternative London Trip'.

The aim is to raise awareness of real life issues and show those taking part that life in London and big cities can often be extremely tough.

Organised by the Pickering-based Ryedale Detached Youth Work Project, if the trip is a success it will be made into a regular event.

"Basically, the six who are taking part have said they are thinking about moving to a big city in the future," youth worker and Londoner Barry Gilbert said.

"What we aim to do through the trip is to show them that life in a big city is not always what it is cracked up to be. We aren't saying don't move there, all we are saying is that there can be problems and issues that need to be taken into consideration."

While in London, the group will visit several deprived areas, from Whitechapel in the east across to Victoria in the west.

They will meet with homeless people, visit hostels - "some decent ones, others that are not so decent" - see how the Big Issue magazine works and take part in a soup run.

The trip is intended to end on a more positive note, by visiting a project called 'The Passage', which is aimed at getting people off the streets and back on their feet.

Barry said: "There will also be a series of talks from people who are involved with and understand the homelessness issue. Too many people think that if you live on the streets it is because you are drunk or a drug addict, but often it is the other way round - people get into drink or drugs after ending up on the street.

"That though, is just one of the issues we will address. Overall, it comes back to raising awareness that if they do up sticks and leave it can be hard. Not everyone in London is rich, the reality is far from it, and a lot of people leave home without realising what is in store for them. That is a problem we hope the alternative London trip will tackle head on."