UP to 100 young people who have had some of the toughest starts to life have enjoyed a Christmas party thanks to Bradford people’s generosity.

The Midland Hotel was the venue for a special celebration dinner for young people between 16 and 25 who are being supported by the Council’s Leaving Care Service.

Tuesday’s event, in its second year, was made possible by Rotary clubs from the Bradford area and and residents including one former care leaver who is now aged 86. Gary Peacock, the Midland Hotel’s general manager, is also a member of the Bradford Bronte Rotary Club.

All the young people at the party in one of the hotel’s glitzy ballrooms were being helped to become more independent and start to move out of the care system.

One of the guests was 17-year-old Courtney Heyworth who went into care in Wales when she was just seven, then after an adoption broke down, came into Bradford’s care in 2014.

Thanks to the care she received in Yorkshire her future was looking much brighter, she said with five university offers to study social work from next September.

“I’m lucky I’ve been helped, especially by my social worker Kirsty Monday who has inspired me to become a social worker too,” she said.

“I’m hoping to get in to Huddersfield. It’s my first choice and it’s not far from Bradford.”

Courtney will be able to stay in council care until she is 25 if she goes to university.

Also there was 19-year-old Codie Pitts who grew up in Bradford then lived in Scotland for a time before coming back to Bradford.

She went into care when she was five but recently returned to her home city for a fresh start, she said.

“I was living up in Scotland for a while with family but it didn’t work out so I came back to Bradford to make a new start. I’m just waiting to get a house of my own. I’ll have someone from the service to help me until I’m 21 which is nice to know. It’s just good to know there’s someone looking out for you,” she said.

Bradford’s strategic director of Children’s Services Michael Jameson was also at the party.

He said: “We are responsible for the young people in our care. We’re their corporate parents.

“This event is about celebrating Christmas. It’s that time when people want to enjoy themselves, be with friends and people who care for them. It’s what every young person should be doing. I’d like to say thank you to everyone who helped put this party on.”

Councillor Val Slater, Bradford Council’s executive member for health and wellbeing, said: “Christmas, like all holiday times, can be a particularly significant time for children in care and care leavers.

“It is great that both our staff, the local community and businesses have all come together to support our young people and give them something special at Christmas.”

As well as a Christmas buffet, each of the guests was given a present donated by staff from the council.