YOUNG people could get a chance to travel overseas by becoming city representatives to strengthen Oxford's links with its twin cities.

Oxford City Council has launched the new scheme to encourage young people to get involved in international links activities.

Oxford is twinned with five cities – Perm in Russia, Leiden in the Netherlands, Bonn in Germany, Leòn in Nicaragua, and Grenoble in France – and the council is looking for 10 people, aged 18 to 25, to represent them and raise awareness and engagement with their peers.

Peter McQuitty, the city council's Head of Culture, said: "The council is investing in improving opportunities for young people to engage in positive activities and develop the skills and ambition to achieve to the best of their abilities.

"The City Rep scheme will help young people develop their digital, fundraising, communication, and event management skills, as well as building their self-confidence and provide opportunities to develop friendships and expand their cultural horizons."

City Representatives, or City Reps, will gain invaluable skills working alongside industry professionals, including web developers Made With Joy, and the Oxford International Links organisation, a keen supporter of the scheme.

The reps will have the chance to travel to the city they will represent, while learning to fundraise for their trips abroad.

They will also create a website containing accounts of their own travel experiences, guides to all five twin cities, as well as an event calendar for all twinning activities.

They will also help to coordinate together a launch event as part of Oxford Christmas Light Festival which, this year, will be themed The World In Oxford.

During the summer Oxford is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its twinning link with Bonn.

Talks have been taking place about Burgerfest, a traditional German festival featuring food stalls and musical performances, which will take place in Broad Street in Saturday, May 27 from noon to 4pm.

Initially Balliol College in Broad Street raised concerns about the event because it feared students revising for exams could be disturbed.

But talks between the college and council officers have taken place and the festival event is set to go ahead.

Bonn Week 70th anniversary celebrations will run from Thursday, May 25 to Sunday, May 28, and on May 27 the Oxford Philharmonic celebrates Bonn 70 event will take place at the Sheldonian Theatre.

South Square at the new Westgate Centre, which opens in October, will be named Leiden Square, to celebrate the twinning link.

To become a City Rep young people must prepare and submit either 200 words, 10 photographs or a 90-second video to show why they are interested and why they would make a good representative.

Applications opened on Wednesday and can be submitted up until Thursday, April 27.

They should be emailed to internationallinks@oxford.gov.uk

For more information applicants can contact International Links Coordinator Lauren Spiceley, using the above email address, or calling 07483 010888.