BBC Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw put innovative Royston charity Youth at Risk in the spotlight when he featured it on his BBC Lifeline Appeal programme last week.

Youth at Risk, based on Upper King Street, delivers high intensity, personal development programmes for young people all over the country, and the BBC1 programme helped raise £2,500 towards a £15,000 target to extend these schemes.

Youth at Risk supports around 1,000 young people per year, often those involved in criminal behaviour, taking/dealing drugs, risky sexual activities, anti-social behaviour,and not in education, employment or training. All are young people in challenging circumstances and are at risk of pursuing a destructive life.

The charity’s approach is designed to get to the core of why life isn’t working out by treating the causes rather than the symptoms of youngsters’ problems. They have an excellent success rate, with two-thirds of those out of work finding employment and almost all young people seeing an increase in their self-esteem.

One person featured on the BBC appeal explained: “I’d been bullied early on in my life and I’d actually become what I hated most, which was a bully... also my mum at that point was quite ill, with mental health problems and suicide attempts. Growing up, that was quite difficult to deal with… My life without Youth at Risk would have probably been prison or I would have been dead. So, Youth at Risk really did save my life.”

Charity spokesperson Clare Kanakides said: ”The support of a celebrity like Nick Grimshaw makes a huge difference to Youth at Risk, but they can’t deliver programmes without donations from people who care. This is your chance to support the work of a charity right on your doorstep.

“Even if if you don’t donate, the film is worth a watch to hear about the inspiring work taking place so close to where you live.”

You can find details on how to donate in the film or you can text DONATE to 70121 to give £10. Watch the appeal on the BBC iPlayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07w5r42