The Bar 'n' Bus is a Christian youth project. There are a couple of old buses in use that are spray painted in various colours and which display anti-drugs messages. Among other things, inside each bus is a non-alcoholic bar - hence the name.

Why Do the Buses Go Out?

... to share Christian lifestyle and positive life values with those young people who are seeking help care and friendship.

Primarily, the buses are there to promote drug and alcohol prevention, to provide a listening ear, practical help and wise counsel for young people.

Where and When do the Buses Go Out?

The buses are based in south-east Essex, England, around Southend-on-Sea and surrounding areas. During the week, the bus goes out to Belfairs Wood on a Wednesday night, to Southend Seafront on a Friday night and so on and so forth. New teams are also being formed in the areas of Rayleigh and Canvey Island.

How do the Buses Go Out?

The buses are able to continue operating because of the people who volunteer to be part of the teams and the churches/organisations who donate money towards this charity. The volunteers don't get paid for all their hard work which can be time consuming, and they don't get a lot of recognition for it either.

What Else Does the Bar 'n' Bus Trust do?

The Bar 'n' Bus Trust also has a static centre in Hadleigh, Essex. It has many facilities - pool tables, a bar/café and some computers for internet access. The buses also visit local schools to take assemblies and CU meetings, actually on board the buses.

So, if you need a chat about anything, (mostly) good advice and a nice hot drink or an energetic game of no-rules football, a listening ear and a place to make some good friends, then come along to one of the buses or to the static centre¹

The Bar 'n' Bus Trust is a good project to get involved with. If you would like any more information on this project, or how to get a project like this started in your neighbourhood, visit the Bar 'n' Bus site.