Unveiling of new youth and community van to support young people in Burnley following closure of Space Youth Bus

Participation Works launched the van, which been converted with heating, seating, and storage, last Thursday, marking the occasion with a speech, stilt walker, festival makeup, and a Wish Tree requesting sponsorship.

The vehicle will replace the Space Youth Bus, which was sold in January due to a lack of funding. Lynne Blackburn, director and project manager, said the group struggled to raise £90,000 to keep the bus going for another year but the new van will offer support services for ages 11 to 18 on a smaller scale thanks to funding from Calico, the Police and Crime Commissioner, and Violent Reduction Network.

"I was gutted that the bus went. We couldn’t get the funding, which is a shame. The bus is expensive to keep running because of the size of the project. We needed £90,000 a year so it was challenging.

"But now we have another opportunity to do something different and still engage young people.”

The Space bus was used to target the town’s ASB hotspots by providing a safe space keeping youngsters off the streets. It travelled to a new area every five weeks, offering free support and fun activities and facilities to people aged seven to 20, like crafts, games, sports, computers, iPads and game consoles, as well as advice about anything from homework to alcohol and mental health.

“We’d been in the town centre since Covid-19 and young people know us. We’ve built relationships with them and have a stall in Burnley Market a couple of afternoons a week so we have helped to reduce ASB there.

"Young people want somewhere safe and positive to go to. A lot struggle with their mental health. It’s a huge problem. Every young person we speak to is struggling. Schools are struggling with it. There is a big lack of support and waiting lists [for mental health treatment] are huge. The problem has always been there but it’s got worse since Covid.”

Lynne hopes the van will also be used for workshops, community events, as an extra classroom for schools, or a campaign vehicle for the NHS.

To find out more about the service, make a donation, or suggest ways it can be used, contact [email protected]