YOUNG people who have left local authority care in North Yorkshire are to be given goody bags to help to keep them safe and well during the Covid-19 pandemic.

North Yorkshire has more than 300 care leavers living in and around the county.

These are young people who left local authority care after aged 16 and who often had difficult lives before coming into care.

North Yorkshire County Council says it is committed to supporting them during the lockdown.

The cost of the goody bags has been met by contributions from their locality budgets by county councillors in their role as corporate parents.

The bags have been put together by the County Council’s leaving care team and include a voucher to spend at a local supermarket and sweet treats, as well as information on activities to help the young people to stay well.

Councillors were also keen to ensure these young people were given hand sanitiser and gloves to protect themselves, supporting them in the way many parents have for their children not living at home.

Cllr Janet Sanderson, member for children’s services, said: “We always take an active role in the wellbeing of young people who have left our care, so at this difficult time we wanted to do a little bit extra to let them know that we are thinking of them.”