TACKLING radicalisation and terrorism is on the agenda for a community organisation in Bury after being awarded a grant of £20,000.

The Asian Development Association of Bury (ADAB) has received the funding from Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd as part of his Youth Aspiration Fund for which there was a pot of £600,000 available.

A new mentoring programme for young people who show extremist tendencies will be set up with the funds, with ADAB planning to work with local schools, colleges, and mosques.

Tan Ahmed, ADAB chief officer, is hoping the organisation can become a pioneering force in tackling extremism in the region.

He said: “This is going to be a fantastic thing for Bury.

“What we want to do is to be the model for how to tackle extremism.

“There’s a lot happening in the world and we don’t always know what our young people are thinking, so we need to involve them in the debate.

“Bury will be at the forefront of developing something brand new for the rest of Greater Manchester to follow.”

The programme will also encourage young people to look after their own health and wellbeing, fostering social and economic independence as a means of tackling extremism.

Mr Ahmed added: “This is a difficult subject and one that we need to tackle and debate here.

“We want to build something really positive for the town and really embed this.

“We have had a lot of experience dealing with these issues and we have unfortunately seen extremism on the rise for a number of years.

“There has been a gap recently for a programme like this and we are looking to fix that and make Bury and all of Greater Manchester a safer place.”

Mr Lloyd, who has recently been appointed the first mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Young people have the innovative solutions to our future. All they need is to be given a voice and the tools to make the right choices.

“That’s exactly why I launched the Youth Aspiration Fund, to empower young people and give them the opportunity to develop their confidence, team-building and to respect themselves and their communities – essential skills for making the best start in life.

“I’ve been really impressed by the quality of the bids and I want to thank everyone who has applied. It reaffirms my belief that the enthusiasm and passion to support every young person in reaching their potential and bring about real change in their community is engrained throughout Bury.”