A CHARITY which helps communities near Selby is celebrating a major cash windfall to support its work with young people.

Osgoldcross Forum has been granted £382,742 by The Big Lottery to help provide youth activities over the next five years in parishes in the southern part of the Selby area.

The funding will enable qualified youth workers and a trailer full of equipment to visit the village halls, community centres and outdoor play areas in the area to provide additional organised youth activities.

The project is funded for the first five years, and will allow youth provision to be established for the future in areas which currently struggle due to a lack of facilities and personnel.

The Eggborough-based forum, the voice for parish councils and the forum for parish meetings and other community-minded groups, was formed to tackle rural disadvantage by working with North Yorkshire County Council’s youth service. In 2008 it carried out a survey with Selby4Youth to consult with young people to find out what they needed.

The study highlighted a lack of facilities, activities and trained personnel in several parishes around the region, triggering the launch of the Forum’s Youth On The Move project.

Bryan Crossdale, chief executive of the Forum, said: “The Osgoldcross Forum is committed to the development of initiatives which will improve the quality of life for the community it serves.

“This funding will make a big difference to the young people of this rurally deprived area. The project will enable them to gain new skills, experiences and social networks.”

Formed by parish councils in 2003, the forum expanded to include 18 parishes, including Brotherton, Chapel Haddlesey, Eggborough, Fairburn and West Haddlesey.

The charity also has an office at Eggborough Police Station.