DORIS, the new youth bus for South Gloucestershire, has been officially launched.
Despite its name standing for Delivery Of Rural Inclusion and Support, it will be coming to Kingswood.
Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member for communities and local place, ward councillor for Kingswood and a member of Kingswood Town Council, told a meeting of South Gloucestershire Council: “We recognise the need for investment for our young people It [Doris) is there to get to hard-to-reach rural areas as well as working in some urban areas that currently have not dedicated youth centre, such as my own ward in Kingswood.”
At the launch at Patchway Youth Centre, Councillor Rhodes said: “We recognise that whilst many young people visit a youth club, some don’t or can’t, so youth workers will also take youth work out to where the young people are. We are thrilled to officially unveil this bus, which is crucial to that work,”
The bus will be used by youth groups and outreach workers to attend events, clubs and locations. The council says it will offer young people a safe space to talk, access information and support, and play music through a built-in sound bar along with use of a TV and wi-fi. The brightly coloured bus has been designed in collaboration with young people and features hand drawn and digitally created illustrations. It is also fitted with a microwave and hot water.
The vehicle has been partly funded by the South Gloucestershire Violence Reduction Partnership (which is made up of professionals from the council’s community safety team, police, public health, education and youth outreach) to identify challenging behaviours and intervene quickly to prevent serious violence. It is also supported by Public Health and Home Office funding for serious violence work distributed via Avon & Somerset’s Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody.
Councillor Maggie Tyrrell, cabinet member responsible for children and young people at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “We hope this new bus will add to the positive experiences of young people in South Gloucestershire.
“We know our youth work has a really positive impact on young people’s mental health, self-confidence, feeling part of the community and for many, provides a chance to learn new skills. Feedback from young people who attend youth clubs shows they feel less alone and more involved in their community.”