THE lives of young people on the outskirts of York are set to improve thanks to a lottery grant of more than £165,000.

Haxby and Wigginton's 4,000 young people will benefit from the grant, which will create more places for them to go and keep them off the streets.

The suburbs have expanded over the last 30 years and the number of households has increased by 180 per cent.

This has left the area with a lack of facilities for young people and problems with alcohol-fuelled vandalism as a result.

Earlier this year the community hit the headlines after a series of vandalism attacks and the temporary closure of one of the community's church youth clubs when misbehaving teenagers attempted to gatecrash the venue.

This new injection of cash could help to reduce such incidents.

Eddie Benson, chairman of Haxby and Wigginton Youth and Community Association said: "We're delighted to receive this award. It is a great encouragement to a community which has suffered from major housing development and little recreational development.

"It gives us the opportunity to employ a full-time professional community development worker to assist us in explaining and expanding new opportunities for young people and others of all ages in the community.

"It will enable a greater effort to go into co-ordinating work of the present statutory and voluntary groups and create a much-needed shot in the arm to encourage volunteers to get involved in something really worthwhile.

He said: "Next week we're having the erection of a long-awaited youth shelter which is being built by David Nellis, of Haxby, and will be on the Ethel Ward Playing Fields.

"It's going to be a lit shelter which will give young people somewhere to go."

PICTURE: WINDFALL: Eddie Benson, chairman of Haxby and Wigginton Youth and Community Association, celebrates the lottery grant with children from Haxby who attend Joseph Rowntree School in York

Picture: Nigel Holland