A Belfast youth club is in a race against time to raise £30k for a new minibus to continue their ‘essential work’.
St Peter’s Immaculata youth centre in west Belfast supports young people aged 7-25 providing ‘vital opportunities’ for personal development, education, and community engagement.
However, their minibus which aids delivery of life-changing opportunities for the young people in the community ‘urgently’ needs to be replaced.
Stephen Hughes told The Irish News a minibus is more than just transport—it’s a lifeline.
“Our old bus is absolutely knackered,” he said. “There were 130,000 miles on the clock and to be honest it would have cost more to fix it than it is costing to replace it. Raising these funds is the only viable financial option.
“We received a huge grant from the Variety Club Great Britain but we still have to raise half the cost to get it.”
Stephen said replacing the bus would give them the freedom to continue taking their 500 registered members on trips outside the community where they gain valuable experiences and friendships.
“We run essential programmes, take young people on educational trips, and provide access to experiences that broaden their horizons. Without it, many of our activities will be at serious risk,” he explained.
“We’re currently running our half-term scheme and taking the kids out cost £1,000 for transport alone. Having our own mode of transport is more cost-effective and gives us the freedom to arrange a host of offsite activities."
The club have raised just over £6,000 thanks to generous pledges from local businesses and residents.
“People are literally coming to the door with donations and that is great to see,” Stephen said.
“It tells us we are well thought off in the Lower Falls and west Belfast community for the work we do.
“We have also launched a fundraising page, the kids will be out by the Albert Road with buckets every Saturday for change and there will also be some fundraisers in bars on the road including a poker night.
“The issue is we’re up against the clock here. We really need to meet the target by Easter or our effort will be wasted.
“I understand times are tough for everyone but any money people can spare would really help us out and if you’re heading out in the coming weeks why not head to one of our fundraisers and help out a good cause.”
You can make a donation to the fundraiser here.
