YOUNGSTERS, footpaths and vulnerable people are the priorities for the Southern Wiltshire Area Board for the coming year.

The area board hosted a special event on February 27 to look at issues and statistics for the area, and the priorities were set at a meeting on Thursday.

The priorities include continuing to progress the youth development theme from last year, looking at ways to get young people involved in the work of the area board.

The board also wants to build on the success of the footpath theme and develop ideas of how it can be enlarged to include safe cycling routes.

The third priority was to develop a new theme around supporting vulnerable people.

In order to help take the projects forward, the area board is to develop a parish clerk or chairman liaison workshop to enable to sharing of volunteers and resources in southern Wiltshire.