New bus for youth club

1:00pm Monday 6th October 2008

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A DOUBLE-decker bus is providing the answer to keeping teenagers on the straight and narrow in Oldbury.

This summer the Oldbury Deckers Youth Club took delivery of a new double-decker bus, and its members along with youth leader, local farmer Andrew Gazard, have spent the last few weeks renovating it.

The bus, donated by a travel company based in the Midlands, now boasts a games room, two chill-out rooms with televisions and DVD players and a tuck shop.

Mr Gazard said: "We bought our first bus in 1984, we've since had four others, because we have limited space. If you hire a hall you have to keep packing everything up, but having a permanent home like this means the youth club is ready.

"The bus is stored at Naite Farm but then every Friday we drive down to the playing fields in Oldbury and plug it into the pavilion."

Oldbury Deckers Youth Club, which is run by volunteers and receives no funding from South Gloucestershire Council, was established in 1979 by a group of local people and now attracts more than 100 children and teenagers every Friday night aged from four up to 16.

"The youth club is very popular. We're open all year round, even during the summer holidays.

"Teenagers just want a safe environment to sit and chat and we provide that. We don't plan anything, the kids can just come and use the facilities as they want," said Mr Gazard.

Next September the youth club will be celebrating its 30th anniversary and plans are already underway to mark the milestone.

"We hope to do something to mark the anniversary maybe try and reunite old members," said Mr Gazard.

It is hoped the new double-decker bus for Oldbury Deckers Youth Club will be ready and on the road by the end of this month.