TEENAGERS from the Malvern area were given the opportunity to tell an invited audience of "opinion-formers" about their vision for the future this week.

They were speaking at 'A Youthful Vision 2020', a conference at Hereford's Courtyard Theatre on Tuesday arranged by Colonel Sir Piers Bengough, the high sheriff of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Its aim was to see what changes would encourage young people to stay in the two counties to live and work.

Among the speakers were Kirsty Fraser, aged 18, from Knightwick, 16-year-old Rob Beaumont, from Suckley, and James Sinclair, 16, from Alfrick.

They had worked with Worc-estershire Youth Service in the project to build a skatepark in Alfrick.

They highlighted the problems of having to rely on parents for transport and low-paid jobs in rural areas and urged their audience not to ignore their "unrealistic aspirations".

One idea was to impose a tax on people travelling from the countryside into towns and use the money to improve rural transport.

Earlier another group had talked about how they felt the education system had failed them because of poor careers advice.

Russell Lewis, who set up his own business, Photogenix in Hereford, talked about the problems he had experienced and the shortcomings in his education.

"I knew more about the formation of Oxbow Lakes that I did about business practises," he said.

Another enterprising youngster, Christine Hope, had set up her own village shop, Hopes of Longtown, and was now employing five people but spoke about the problems of finding grant support.

"For grants you have to be not for profit, i.e. not employing people. I'm doing something practical to keep people in the village and put money back into the community and I can't get support," she said.

Sir Piers said the conference report would be out in May and he asked his audience not to let it lie on the shelf.

"Young people have spoken and we must not allow their comments to be wasted," he said. "We must continue to listen and engage them in planning the future of these two counties."