YMCA North Tyneside has launched a new mobile youth club, the Y Bus, to bring vital support and activities directly to young people in rural communities across County Durham and the wider North East.
The fully equipped bus was revealed at the charity's Picnic in the Park event and is designed to tackle isolation faced by young people in rural areas, where poor public transport and limited local resources make it hard to access youth services.
Funding and partnerships
The project is funded by Better Youth Spaces, sponsored by Housing 4 Good, and received branding support from Screentech. Rachel Dyne, Head of Community at YMCA North Tyneside, said: "Y Bus has been an ambition of YMCA North Tyneside for some time now. We have heard the challenges young people face in rural communities and we wanted to address this."
The Y Bus offers a safe, warm space where young people can meet professional youth workers, take part in activities, access advice, enjoy creative projects, and have a hot drink or snack. Recent activities included football, designing tote bags and socks, making pom poms, and relaxing in beanbags.
Addressing isolation and cost of living
As a camper van, the bus has a fridge freezer, allowing the team to provide filling snacks like sandwiches, wraps, and fruit to help tackle the cost of living crisis. Rachel said: "Our mobile youth club allows us to work towards tackling isolation of young people living in rural places. A youth club is more than a place to come and do fun things. It is a place where young people can connect with others and build trusting relationships."
Many teens in rural County Durham lack safe spaces to socialise, and limited transport links prevent them from travelling to other towns. The Y Bus addresses this by bringing services directly to them.
Housing 4 Good partnership
Housing 4 Good, the official sponsor, is working across the North East to address the housing crisis. Janet Richardson, Director of Housing and Partnership, said: "Housing 4 Good was a lifelong dream of mine. After 40 years working for large, registered providers and the YMCA, I have seen first hand the difference a home can make to a person's life."
Joanne McNally, Head of North East Operations, added: "Housing 4 Good is incredibly proud to be the sponsor of this inspiring project with YMCA North Tyneside, helping bring a new mobile youth club directly into communities that need it most across the North East."
Housing 4 Good will also participate in sessions to discuss housing needs and has helped decorate the bus. Janet said: "The housing crisis is the worst I have seen in a long time and Housing 4 Good was created to make a real difference."
Future plans
Working with County Durham Council, the Y Bus will be ready to take to the roads in the new school year in September. The charity is asking the public to get in touch if there is a place in their community where young people could benefit from a visit. For more information, follow YMCA North Tyneside's social media pages.
