Youth Bus and Young People

Written by Vincent Cable MP and published in Online Exclusive on Fri 8th Oct 2004

Every so often, the local community produces a heart warming success story. One of these is the Youth Bus whose progress was celebrated this week at the Greenwood Centre in Hampton Hill.

Its origin is the complaint I often hear from teenagers and their parents that "there is nothing to do around here". Boredom is undoubtedly one factor behind the teenage gangs who get involved in under age drinking, drugs, graffiti and other petty crime and anti-social behaviour.

Not all young people have this problem, of course. Many teenagers are immersed in study and for anyone with a serious interest - be it swimming or music, football or drama, scouting or sailing there are clubs and facilities near by. There are also youth clubs with good facilities, like Heatham House and the Brunswick club in Twickenham; and a few popular gathering places like the Hampton Wick skate park.

What is lacking are cheap but comfortable places to hang out or chat up the opposite sex, away from disapproving adults. My generation had coffee bars with juke boxes. But there isn't really anything comparable in - say - Hampton or Whitton; so, until they are old enough to get into pubs and clubs, kids congregate on street corners and trouble often follows.

The Youth Bus is a mobile café which stops, on one evening a week, in Whitton, Heathfield and Hampton Wick. Teenagers have access to coffee and computers and also to personal advice if they need it. But, essentially, they run the bus. They are treated with respect and, in turn, respect the bus, the voluntary staff and each other.

If there were more volunteers and finance the bus could do more, though it obviously can't be everywhere at once. It is already having a measurable positive impact and, with backing form the local community, could do more.