MP Backs Youth Bus Project

11.25.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 11th Oct 2004

MP Vincent Cable visited the Youth Bus Café Project at the Greenwood Centre in Hampton Hill on Thursday and gave strong backing to what he described as a 'heart warming success story; a rare case of adults coming up with a project with great appeal to teenagers who might otherwise lapse into anti social behaviour".

The bus provides a mobile café and access to information, and visits areas like Whitton, Heathfield and Hampton Wick where there are no youth clubs or projects. The bus is proving very popular at all its regular venues and the promoters are seeking further funding to expand it operations.

Vincent Cable said that the "project came out of brainstorming which some of us were involved in six or seven years ago. But it has been turned into reality and despite early setbacks - when the bus was vandalised while parked at Heatham House - is going from strength to strength. The staff treat teenagers with respect and, in turn, the bus is treated with respect."