by Jonathan Morris BBC News Online South West

Alton Towers offered children a rewarding day out say organisers

The YP2-Clay voucher scheme has been praised by the Cornwall Rural Community Council following the increase in banning orders in Cornwall.

St Austell, where Yp2-Clay is based, is an area of significant deprivation where children have complained there is little to do.

Vouchers can be redeemed against the cost of activities.

YP2-Clay - text speak for Young People Too - was set up in 1999 with cash from the Countryside Agency, the Prince's Trust, Western Power and the J Paul Getty Junior Charitable Trust.

Its aim was to tackle problems faces by people in rural areas, where children felt there were few opportunities, and channel them into activities they would organise.

A curfew order has been imposed in the village of Probus

At its core is the voucher scheme which allows local youngsters to do and see things which would otherwise be out of range financially or geographically.

Trouble among Cornwall's youth has been one of the main stories of the county over the summer holidays with police and local authorities placing curfew orders at the village of Probus and at Polzeath and Falmouth.

In addition there has been a big increase in the imposition of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) in the South West in the past year, although total numbers remain relatively small.

Nine have been issued in the Devon and Cornwall Police area in the 12 months to March this year, compared with 14 in the previous four years.

The Cornwall Rural Community Council says schemes like YP2-Clay offer children a way out of their dead-end lives.

The vouchers can be redeemed to the value of �20 towards an activity as long as it is legal, honest and decent.

And the more children that organise themselves for an activity, the more the value of the voucher goes up, so if five or more children group together each voucher doubles in value. If 10 or more are involved the value triples.

Lusty Glaze in north Cornwall has been a favourite destination

So far more than 600 vouchers have been issued.

Outings, supervised by volunteer adults, have included Alton Towers, quad biking, horse riding, golf lessons as well as surfing and other activities at the Lusty Glaze Adventure Centre in north Cornwall.

Project creator Helen Trudgeon pointed out that sending children to Alton Towers may be their first experience of a big theme park and all of them benefit from the organisation involved.

She said: "The kids' social skills are developed. They have to work out an itinerary, transport, tickets, manage the budget and get permission from their parents.

"But they don't realise they are doing all this work because it is fun as well and they come back having had a great day and feeling great because they have done it all themselves."

For teenagers like Victoria Craddock from St Dennis near St Austell , YP2-Clay has been a welcome route out of the boredom of the school holidays.

Victoria said: "The YP2 project gives us opportunities we would not otherwise get.

"There's nothing to do around here and even if you do want to go to the cinema the buses never turn up.

"Alton Towers cost �1,150 for the 10 of us - that's impossible if you're earning �3.50 an hour cleaning caravans."

St Austell is a 14-mile round trip from her home in St Dennis and the buses do not allow under-16s on after 2130.

"There used to be a disco in St Denis, but that closed because of too much trouble," she said.