A survey of more than 2,600 young people in Wiltshire has shown the county council's youth development service is reaching out to teenagers.

The poll of 13 to 16 year olds showed that nearly 25 per cent of young people have had contact with the youth development service either attending a youth club or youth centre, or taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme.

These statistics suggest the service is right on target to reach the goal of working with 25 per cent of 13 to 19 year olds, set by the Department for Education and Skills in its Resourcing Excellent Youth Services document.

Young people in years eight, nine and ten completed questionnaires at school under the supervision of a teacher or youth worker. The results also showed the youth development service was having a positive impact on those young people who used it.

Young people who attended the centres were four times more likely to know they could organise their own projects and activities and have a say about what happens in their area than those who did not.

Streetwork by youth workers has also been successful, with 13 per cent of young people saying they had come into contact with a street youth worker.

Proportionately, attendance at youth centres by young people from ethnic minorities is higher than for other young people.

The results of the survey have been used to identify how and where the service can be improved.

Many more young people would like to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme than do at present.

Schools and Wiltshire College are both contributing financially to help expand the scheme in Wiltshire and youth workers are making greater use of the scheme to offer young people challenging opportunities.

Young people were also keen for youth development centres to be open on Friday and Saturday evenings from 7pm until 11pm and the youth service is looking at how best this can be achieved within current budgets.

The structure of staffing across the service is also being changed as a result of the survey to overcome recruitment and retention problems.

David Whewell, head of youth development, said: "This survey is about listening and responding. The views of young people are vital in shaping the county council's youth development service and understanding how, why and where the service is being used."

Ed Deedigan, of Kandu Arts for Sustainable Development, a group renowned for its work with young people in Wiltshire, said the youth development service was moving in the right direction but much more remained to be done.

He said the spotlight had been fixed on issues such as skateparks but involving young people in all kinds of arts projects was also important.

"Young people are getting more access and opportunity to get involved with all sorts of arts projects, but there is not enough of it," he said.

"Young people in towns, villages and hamlets still do not have anywhere near the right access to the things that would enable them to feel part of the community."