Young lay out their ideas to improve communities

Partners in Innovation, a Bradford-based company behind a school and community engagement programme called Solutions for the Planet, is holding a Yorkshire Celebration Event in the grand committee room

of the Houses of Parliament on July 5.

Ten teams of young people will present ideas to improve their communities to a panel of judges and an audience of politicians and business leaders.

The Solutions for the Planet programme aims to develop ties between entrepreneurs, teachers and pupils. This year the programme inspired thousands of young people in more than 50 secondary schools to generate hundreds of ideas.

The ideas included new ways of protecting the environment and stopping child abuse. They were developed with support from experts at a Young People's Conference which was held in the Royal Armouries in Leeds earlier this year. As a result 55 teams were selected to explain their ideas at events in the universities of York, Hull, Sheffield, Bradford and Leeds.

Ten teams were then selected to represent the region at the Palace of Westminster.

The event is being supported by a number of politicians including Hilary Benn, the MP for Leeds Central.

David Ross, the chief executive of Partners in Innovation, said: "Solutions for the Planet provides the opportunity for every child, every family and every community engaging with the programme to come up with a big idea that will improve our society, economy and the environment – creating new and better ways of doing things.

"People vote every day with their pockets and actions and this 'vote' is the key to sustainability, better services, better systems and a better society."

Mr Benn said: "Having seen what Solutions for the Planet has achieved over the last two years. I would urge everyone to support this work. It is inspiring to see what the programme does to tap into the creativity of the next generation."

Simon Barnes, the head of innovation strategy at Yorkshire Water, added: "Our communities, society, the economy and planet are facing some very challenging issues. It's essential that we continue to constantly strive for new and better ways of doing things and one of the best ways to find innovative solutions to any problem is by bringing together diverse groups of people and giving them the opportunity to put their heads together."