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The St. Peter’s Youth Club (SPYC) has received a £15,642 grant from the Lloyds Bank Foundation in the Channel Islands which will support the weekly operation of the Club’s Mobile Bus through the employment of their sessional youth workers.
For the past 15 years the SPYC has delivered youth work to young people at their doorsteps through their Mobile Bus project, which supports over 1,000 St. Peter’s youth on an annual basis.
The Mobile Bus is an extension of the sessions held at the Community Centre which is restricted to three weekly sessions, whereas the Mobile Bus is extended to an additional five weekly sessions and can operate at a number of different locations in the community with a variety of technology, like computers and a PlayStation, that appeal to the young people.
With an average of 24 young people per session the Mobile Bus is able to reach out to the St. Peter’s youth on topics they might have questions about relating to education, drugs and alcohol, and mental or sexual health. The young people are provided with an informal educational area on the Bus which provides them with up-to-date and accurate information on life changing issues and have access to the Club’s dedicated sessional youth workers and volunteers. The grant will directly support the sessional staff that operate the bus and interact with the young people on a personable level and build strong, positive relationships.
The youth involved in the programme helped to design the Mobile Bus’ exterior and interior and has relied on funding from organisations like the Lloyds Bank Foundation to keep it running year-on-year. The Mobile Bus looks to create a safe and warm environment for all young people to access and looks to engage them with its services and its day-to-day operations. This environment helps young people to develop their personal and social skills through planning and organising special activities.
Tino Perestrelo, Senior Youth Worker, St. Peters Youth Project, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to receive a year’s funding from the Lloyds Bank Foundation for our Mobile Bus project. The young people love the Bus and look forward to it every week as well as the other events we plan which include a Summer Sunset BBQ and an appearance at events like Jersey Live. We’ve experienced such a great outcome with the Bus and its popularity only grows each year.”
John Hutchins, Executive Director, Lloyds Bank Foundation in the Channel Islands, said: “The object of the Mobile Bus is to provide easy accessibility to a youth club for individuals where it might be difficult to attend based on geographical location or for personal circumstances. This is a defined service for youth who experience a form of disadvantage and the Bus provides the youth with knowledge and safety. The Foundation is happy to help the continued service of the Bus carry on for another year and see the positive impact of another 1,000 youth.”
The Lloyds Bank Foundation is the largest independent charitable funding source in the Channel Islands and has provided over £15 million in grants over the past 30 years. They accept applicants from local charities that help people improve their quality of life and tackle the disadvantage of those who are marginalised.
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