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Bar’N’Bus
The Bar’N’Bus is an old double-decker bus covered in eye-catching graffiti that serves as a kind of mobile youth centre. It has a bar on the lower deck serving free hot and cold non-alcoholic drinks, and on the top deck there’s two Playstation 3 consuls.
Bar’N’Bus has it’s origins in Southend where in 1993 the vision was born to reach young people hanging out on the streets in the evenings.
The Thurrock Bar’N’Bus Mission has been ‘on the road’ since March 2005 when the first of the borough’s teams began at Blackshots in Grays (it closed down in December 2007 after nearly 3 years).
Each team is made up of volunteers drawn from the participating churches local to where the bus is located. This creates a unique atmosphere and an opportunity to ‘dwell together in unity’ so ‘there the Lord commands the blessing for life evermore’ on that evening and in that locality. Unity is the key that unlocks community transformation.
Currently there are three teams going out every week:
• Wednesday 8-10pm – West Thurrock, car park at back of Cowdray Hall
• Thursday 8-10pm – Corringham, car park behind Police Station
• Friday 7.30-9.30pm – Chafford Hundred, in front of The Beacon church building
At the time of writing, there are moves to start a new team that will be located near Grays Riverside. Bar’N’Bus presentations have taken place in some local churches and there are already a number of volunteers interested in being part of this mission to young people on Thurrock’s streets. It is hoped that the new team can start up sometime in early 2009, depending on recruitment and training programme.
For information about the work of the Bar’N’Bus Trust, please go to www.barnbus.org.uk.
THURROCK BAR’N’BUS QUIZ NIGHT
Raising money for Thurrock’s Bar’N’Bus
Saturday 20 September 2008 at St Clement’s Church, London Road, West Thurrock
Cost £10 per person inc. £3.35 for fish/chicken & chip supper
Teams of 6-10
No alcohol please
To book please contact Suzy or Stuart at the Bar’N’Bus office on 01268 793331
View flyer here
If you would like to join a team, know more about Bar’N’Bus or have a presentation at your church then please email Tim.
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Tim Harrold, 06/09/2008 |
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