ALOMST 1,500 young people from the most deprived areas of the region will be taking part in a sporting festival with a difference this weekend.

The Streetgames Festival will take place on Saturday at Durham University's Maiden Castle sports centre.

It is designed to develop informal games that the youngsters play in the street into structured and competitive sports.

Funded by the Football Foundation and the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, the festival is being hosted by Durham County Council's Youth Engagement Service, formerly the County Durham Youth Offending Service, and is aimed at youngsters aged ten to 19.

Among the sports on offer for youngsters will be football, basketball and netball, as well as music, health education and arts.

The festival's organiser, Paul Shadforth, of the Youth Engagement Service, said: "Although the day will have a real carnival atmosphere, the emphasis will be on the transition between playing games in the street and performing at a competitive level.

"We hope that the young people taking part will take away the skills they learn and either practice them informally or take them on to a more performance-related setting.

"We want to show what young people and the areas they live in can achieve through getting involved in sport."