IT USED to be young people had to help their country through compulsory national service in the military.

But while this is no longer the case hundreds of youngsters from across Oxfordshire still sign up to the National Citizen Service to put something back into the community and make a difference.

Young adults have been fundraising over the summer though the scheme, which helps develop various skills, and now they are turning their attentions to Bicester.

A host of weekly football tournaments are to be staged for the 16 to 21-year-olds in Bicester to take part in organised by the youngsters.

It is hoped drop-in sessions such as this can help tackle issues with anti-social behaviour in the town.

The group is being led by doctoral researcher Sylvia Acquah, who said: "Anti-social behaviour is highlighted as one of the major issues in Bicester but it needs all of us working together to change that.

"The National Citizen Service is a government funded initiative supporting young people to develop team building and leadership skills.

"The skills developed during this time are then used to develop a social action project that will support the local community."

The group organising the football tournaments, open to all, is made up of 16 and 17-year-olds from Bicester Technology Studio, which opened this September in Queens Avenue with a curriculum based on sustainable technology.

Named 'Ambition', the group is made up of David Lambert, Georgia Smith, Jessica Mills, Victoria Wallace, Kristen Sareen-Kadach, Adam Jerham, Shav Chatindo, James Wilson, Finn Starrett, Olaf Waberski and Jackson Metcalfe.

The group had to put forward their idea against a host of others in order to gain funding from a lottery-backed project.

They hope money raised from the the six-week course will allow it to continue once the lottery funding finishes.

Ms Acquah added: "The pitched an idea to Sportative to help reduce anti-social behaviour in Bicester by engaging young people in football.

"So for six weeks they are being funded by Sportative to do just that.

"They intend to reinvest the money they make from entry fees and selling snacks back into their project to be self sustaining after those initial six weeks."

The sessions launched last Thursday, October 13.

They will run each week from 4.45pm to 6.15pm.

For more information contact btssportevent@gmail.com