A PROJECT set up to provide help and support to young people in Prestonpans has been granted charitable status.

Prestonpans Youth Community Project (PYCP) offers a series of education programmes and facilities to engage town young people.

Andrew Stevenson, from the project, said the aim was to take the help to youths on the streets, instead of expecting them to seek it out.

Dad-of-one Mr Stevenson said: "I am a local father that is pro youth and wants to make a real difference in his home town of Prestonpans.

"I want to change the dynamics of Prestonpans by providing opportunities to local young people as I believe they have the potential.

"I am just a father that wants the best for local children, including my son, as they are the key to the future of Prestonpans.

“The time of youth centres is over and our aim is to get volunteers to go out and speak to young people instead of expecting them to go to centres.”

PYCP is based in the town’s newest community hub the Lighthouse Central, on West Loan.

Andrew said he wanted to start the project to ensure young people were being given the right help to tackle health-related issues from drugs and alcohol misuse to mental health and peer pressure.

He said: “In my opinion these are issues that are not being targeted at the moment and which are important for our young people."

The PYCP is looking for volunteers to help it run a street work initiative sending them out to talk to groups of youths at night and during weekends and making sure they know there is support for them if they need it.

Andrew said: “It is about presence and consistency. If the children and young people are given these two things then it helps them to thrive in their communities and helps with their mental health.”

The project was launched last year and received SCIO status on December 29 from Scottish charity regulator OSCR.

PYCP currently has 10 volunteers but is looking for more. The project is due to launch in the spring and so is recruiting a team, currently made up of local people.

Andrew said the PYCP goal was to give back to the community through helping the younger generation.

He said: “I want to give my community something they can support and take pride in.”