TWO innovative projects to encourage teenagers to get involved in their village are being launched by Cradley Parish Council.

The projects will involve local youngsters in resear-ching the history of their village and 42km of footpaths that criss-cross the parish.

The teenagers will use a digital video camera to film their work and, with added drama and film footage, will make a presentation to the village when the projects are finished.

When the parish plan was drawn up last year, parish councillors agreed to try and involve young people as much as possible.

"We wanted to do something for the youth of the village, something to get them interested and something that was their own project," explained Coun John Edgar.

Ledbury Youth First will work with the children and the parish council is applying for a Heritage Lottery grant.

The aim is for the young people to explore areas of village history that interest them and work alongside the council's own footpaths working group.

"We're very lucky in Cradley to have the new Heritage Centre in the village hall and this is a wonderful way to use it," said Mr Edgar.

He said the footpaths project had been the idea of the teenagers and that nine were already involved.

"Cradley's only a small village but we have miles and miles of footpaths. In area we're one of the largest parishes in the country," said Mr Edgar.

The project will involve the young people researching the history of the paths, their maintenance and ways of updating and improving them.

"We're hoping the project will make the youngsters feel more a part of the village," said Mr Edgar.

Both projects were hoped to be up and running within two months.