Last Monday, thieves stole the minibus belonging to Milton Keynes-based charity, Action4Youth.
The youth charity supports young people, helping them to realise their full potential and providing them with the confidence and skills to lead positive and meaningful lives. The bus was taken from its base at the Caldecotte Xperience car park on Simpson Road.
Action4Youth works particularly closely with disadvantaged young people and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, and in partnership with new city-based schools to deliver a range of programmes and activities to enhance the school curriculum and provide outdoor learning opportunities.
Many schools across MK use the centre for day visits and residentials over the summer.
The bus was discovered several days later in Stevenage, trashed and with its engine missing.
“The loss of the minibus is already having a major impact on our ability to deliver activities for young people and is causing additional cost and inconvenience to schools needing to transport young people to and from the Caldecotte Xperience," Action4Youth Chief Executive Benedicta Morrow told MKFM.
"We are currently working to make alternative arrangements. We are also now having to review security on the site and upgrading our locks and CCTV camera systems. Valuable staff time is being spent on this. Staff are worried about leaving their vehicles in the car park, and we are now having to use our personal vehicles for things like collecting fuel for our powerboats.
The impact the loss of the bus is having is already being felt: "We need the bus for programmes this week, such as our Breakout Programme which aims to encourage young people at risk of becoming involved in criminal activity to make more positive life choices," she told us, "We have a Duke of Edinburgh expedition starting in 11 days where we need to transport a group of young people to the Peak District.
"In nine days we also have a canoeing expedition planned with another school and we currently have no way of transporting the young people or our equipment to the location. We are determined that we will not let these young people down as many of them will not have had the opportunity to experience this type of opportunity before."
The minibus was funded through a community grant from the Department of transport. Without this support, we would not have been able to purchase the vehicle and pay for the special modifications that we need to carry out our work. A4Y also committed some of the charity’s own funds, which was a big investment the charity.
Currently Action4Youth is working with its insurance provider to see what will be covered.
"If there is a shortfall, we would be really appreciative of any community support as we are a small charity and do not have any funds available to put towards a replacement," Benedicta added.
If you would like to support the charity in its work, visit https://www.action4youth.org/
"Every single contribution, no matter the size, really makes a difference and directly supports young people in our region."
