A DEAF youth orchestra could be created in West Yorkshire.

A grant from the National Foundation for Youth Music and the Lloyds TSB Foundation means Huddersfield-based charity Music and the Deaf has the chance to set up an orchestra made up of deaf children.

Sue Rosborough, the charity's administrator, said it would be a `dream' if it came off and would be the first in this area.

Deaf children aged from eight to 16 are invited to put themselves forward. No experience is necessary, simply an interest in music.

Danny Lane, education projects manager at Music and the Deaf, said: "We hope to form a Deaf Youth Orchestra in West Yorkshire with the young people who take lessons through the Youth Music project."

Anyone interested should contact the project on 01484 483115, textphone 01484 483117 or email danny@matd. org.uk

The charity is also celebrating three recent successes.

It won the West Yorkshire Social Enterprise Link Award for Innovation at a ceremony at The Royal Armouries, in Leeds.

It won the award for its project Keys to Music: Unlocking the National Curriculum for Deaf Pupils.

And the charity received recognition for another project, the Hi-Notes After School Music Club, for deaf and young people across the area.

This enables young people to come together to make music each week until July, 2007, thanks to money from the National Foundation for Youth Music and Lloyds TSB Foundation.

The club will run every Thursday at the Heath Training and Development Centre in Free School Lane, Halifax, from 3.30pm-4.30pm.

And Paul Whittaker, the artistic director of the charity and who founded it 18 years ago, has been awarded an honorary doctorate from Huddersfield University for his services to music and the deaf community.

He said: "I am delighted and honoured to receive this award as a result of Music and the Deaf's work across the UK. It also honours all those people who have worked so hard at Music and the Deaf over the years."