A £10,000 grant from Benefact Trust’s Growing Lives programme (now closed) has supported Oriel Ministries to create The Pulse Bus – a mobile youth centre designed to engage with young people in rural areas and connect them with their local church.
Oriel Ministries, a charity based in Launceston, Cornwall, has been planning The Pulse Bus project since 2015; working with schools, local police and youth organisations to identify the needs of young people and find an innovative solution.
The charity noticed a gap in resources and facilities for young people in rural areas, where access to youth provision is much lower. Local churches have limited resources, affecting their ability to deliver youth projects to engage young people.
To tackle this, Oriel set the wheels in motion and launched a state-of-the-art mobile youth bus, filled with the latest games consoles, comfy sofas, a climbing wall, and even a slide!
“We will launch The Pulse Bus across Devon and Cornwall. The bus will visit 40 different areas, engaging with approximately 400 young people annually. That’s 400 young people hearing the gospel, building positive relationships, and engaging in activities to support their mental health. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of Benefact Trust.” – Chris Uglow, The Pulse Bus Project Director
The exciting new space has enough room for 30 young people to enjoy at a time. Not only does it have everything a child could ask for, it also contains breakaway rooms where faith discussions and meaningful conversations can take place.
The bus is expected to launch in September 2021, working with local schools and PCSOs to identify rural and deprived areas most in need of youth facilities. It will be parked in an area for four nights a week, inviting young people to come on board and engage in topical issues including anxiety, depression, antisocial behaviour, mental health, and positive life choices. There will also be a variety of practical workshops such as bike repair, sport, and exercise – helping young people to get to know the team and make new friendships.
The Pulse Bus team are also planning to work with local churches to run bespoke sessions to help train them to work with young people and create sustainable youth programmes.
Benefact Trust's Growing Lives Programme is now closed, but you can find out about our other grants programmes.
