Wigan Youth Zone offers free bus service for youngsters

Starting on Saturday November 12, the service will be a permanent provision running every Friday and Saturday evening from Leigh and Tyldesley with pick-ups at Atherton, Astley and Higher Folds.

The bus service aims to entice young people from Leigh aged 11 to 19 (or 25 with additional needs) back onto the bus ensuring that there is somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.

Pick-ups begin in Tyldesley at 4.30pm arriving at the centre between 5.20pm and 5.30pm, with returns at 8pm on Fridays and 7.45pm on Saturdays.

Michael McCurdy, Outreach and Detached Coordinator at Wigan Youth Zone on Parsons Walk - which is the town’s flagship provision for young people said,

"Wigan Youth Zone is a fabulous building with incredible facilities.

"We offer a range of activities for young people where young people can do everything from football to rock climbing, cooking and music.

"The idea is that they come in and it's a fun, safe and welcoming place to be, and they get the opportunity to try lots of different things.

"At the moment we are seeing just over 200 young people an evening."

“We're very aware that we are facing tough times and that in distant communities, young people not having access to services like Wigan Youth Zone can contribute to social isolation and reduced well-being.

"It’s important for us here at Wigan Youth Zone that everyone can benefit from the service and not just those who live closest to the centre, as such we have a dedicated Outreach Team to bring young people from far and wide into the youth zone to engage with our activities.”

Max Collins aged 17, who regularly uses the WYZ minibus service said: “Using the free Wigan Youth Zone buses over the past few years has given me the chance to get involved in loads of things such as fitness programmes and Youth Voice as well as regular time with youth workers that has helped my self-confidence.”