BRIDPORT'S innovative music project for young people, ZEST!, has won an award of £28,278.

The grant, from the National Federation for Youth Music, is the first to be given to any project in the county and means that the success of ZEST! can now be repeated in Beaminster and Lyme Regis.

Further funding of over £3,000 has been pledged by the district and county councils and from money raised from ZEST! performances.

The project gives young people their own entertainment platform by enabling them to stage and enjoy performances in a nightclub-style setting. ZEST! takes place regularly at the arts centre and the idea for it stemmed from young people themselves.

West Dorset's senior youth worker Arthur Woodgate said: "A key to the success of this project has been the involvement of so many young people.

"They thought of the idea and have put in the effort needed to make it work. When it came to the nitty-gritty of putting together a really quite complicated bid to Youth Music, adult contributors were outnumbered almost four to one by some very enthusiastic and dedicated young people."

ZEST! came about through a partnership between the arts centre, the youth assembly and the county council's youth and community service.

Arts centre director Chris Huxley said: "We are really delighted to have played a part in getting this initiative off the ground."

District council leader Gwyn Pritchard said the funding was a great step forward for the ZEST! project.