YOUNGSTERS across North Yorkshire are being encouraged to unlock their imaginations thanks to a new £35,000 initiative.

Teenagers can tap into a £35,000 pot of money under a new scheme called Keyfund4youth which has just been launched by North Yorkshire County Council's community education service for the County's 13 to 19-year-olds.

With the help of a local Keyfund facilitator and a chat with a Keyfund Panel, young people will be able to follow through their ideas and develop some social and personal skills in the process.

Projects could include music events, go-karting, team building, picnics for the elderly, white water rafting, a social event to plan an exchange or anti-bullying projects.

The Keyfund4youth process is designed to be simple, flexible and young person friendly, as well as to benefit the wider community.

Coun Caroline Patmore, the council's executive member for children's services, said: "Keyfund has expanded across the northern region over the past ten years and proved itself to be a useful tool to get the views of young people.

"The process that is applied allows for the development of key personal and social skills which can, in turn, contribute to the building of bridges between adults and young people."

Updated: 10:20 Monday, July 25, 2005