TWO Alfrick teenagers are preparing for a lunch date in South Africa with some of the most important people in the world after being selected to attend the Johannesburg Earth Summit.

Kirsty Fraser, aged 17, and 16-year-old Darryl Jones have been picked by Worcestershire Youth Service (WYS) to attend the summit in recognition of their community youthwork.

The summit runs from Monday, August 26, until Friday, September 6, but the pair will spend eight days at the high profile environmental meeting.

They will accompany 78 other youngsters from the Birmingham area to the conference and then mingle with more than 100 heads of states and 60,000 delegates from around the world as they debate economic and environmental strategies.

An invitation has been extended to the leaders attending the summit to lunch with the group, who will not only devise a menu for the occasion using organic local produce, but will present a "menu manifesto" of changes they would like to see.

The teenagers were selected by WYS after they helped co-ordinate successful bids for skate areas to be built in Alfrick and Suckley, which involved making video presentations to the respective parish councils.

They both work at The Talbot pub in Knightwick, where initial meetings were held about the skate facilities.

WYS youth worker Bev Collett, who will accompany them to South Africa, said they both worked extremely hard on the skate park project, and deserved the opportunity they had been given.

"I was really pleased when I heard they were going," she said.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for both of them.

Kirsty Fraser, who completed her A-levels at Worcester Sixth Form College this year, said she was relishing the opportunity to take part in the summit.

"I'm a little bit nervous, but really excited and looking forward to it," she said.

Darryl, who finished his GCSEs at The Chase this summer and is considering further education, also expressed enthusiasm.

"It's going to be quite cool," he said. "It will be a good experience."