WORCESTER MP Mike Foster has pledged to improve the lives and opportunities of hundreds of young Asian women at a conference organised by a leading women's charity.

Mr Foster told the audience that he would be calling for better childcare facilities and increased opportunities for full-time education and employment among young women so they can help breathe new life into the city.

It is now up to Worcestershire County Council, the city council and various voluntary organisations to take the challenge forward, said Mr Foster, who was speaking at the city's first-ever conference designed to help young women reach their full potential.

Recent research has revealed young Asians in Worcester are being left out of regeneration funding and that already marginalised groups have not been fully involved in existing projects designed to boost participation in community development.

"We must listen to their pleas - we cannot afford to ignore them," said Mr Foster.

"I will be reporting back to Parliament on this conference and I will be urging the relevant bodies to do more.

"But it is wrong to think it is only young Asian wom-en who are suffering.

"The Government will be announcing changes to the curriculum for 14 to 19-year-olds and re-equipping and motivating children at secondary school."

The Young Women's Christian Association has compiled a report entitled Young, Urban and Female which researched the views of Asian women in the Faithful City and revealed that they felt "ignored or lumped together with young men as a single group".

The debate - at University College Worcester yesterday - focused on problems that face all young women, especially Asians.

Speakers included Tahira Maqsood from the city's Ethnic Minorities Project and Pat Agar, the YWCA's project manager in Worcester.

She said the Asian Young Women's project based at Sansome Walk gave a unique insight into their problems.

"For most of them, the YWCA was the only space they were able to access," said Mrs Agar.

"There is no Asian clothes store and food stores are difficult to access. They feel their customs and religion are ignored.

"We want to assure everyone taking part today that we will act on their behalf.

"New skills sessions in April, 2001 include beauty therapy and healthy living. We will also be doing more outreach work because young women said they would like skills sessions near their homes."