AN innovative drugs project that aims to help young people in Pendle's ethnic minority community has been launched.

Run by the Pendle Partnerships, the Inward House 'Options for All' project will receive £6,493 from the partnership over the next two years to help addicts kick the habit.

Pendle Partnerships Programme Assistant Marie Mason said: "This project will make drug support services more accessible to young people in the ethnic minority community and help to tackle a major cause of crime and social exclusion.

"Help will be available to get young people back into education, work and training, and give them opportunities to live an independent and fulfilling life."

By providing accessible information to addicts in the ethnic minority community the project aims to increase the take-up of drug services and encourage them to lead a normal life by supporting them into education, work and training.

Funding will be used to increase awareness of drug services and drug treatment options and to encourage more people from the Ethnic Minority community to use existing drug services.

Overall the project aims to:

Increase the number of Ethnic Minority clients using Inward House drugs services from 2.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent.

Provide 30 young people with opportunities for personal and social development

Help 15 people to obtain qualifications and 5 of these into employment

The project will also contribute toward Pendle Partnership achieving its aim of cutting crime.

Organisers hope that getting young people involved in the project will help to cut crime, such as burglary, shoplifting and car crime.

Sean Coady of Inward House said: "Communities affected by substance misuse are left feeling helpless, powerless, and unsure of how best to deal with the situation. "At a time when the community should be reaching out for support, the tendency is to become inward looking and isolated.

"By not accessing treatment services the problem goes unchecked.

"'Options for All' will provide information and advice to help the ethnic minority community in Pendle. Pendle Partnership's support for our project will provide information and advice to help the ethnic minority community deal with drug misuse.

"The partnership's funding will give loads of young people a second chance to live a drug free life".