A NEW travelling youth centre for Burnley teenagers will soon be touring the streets.

Thanks to a Burnley Challenge Fund grant, a £25,000 fully fitted Ford van has been converted into a youngsters' mobile meeting place with ten seats, cooking facilities and toilets.

It is the latest success for Relief of Boredom of Teenagers, set up by five teenage girls three years ago. The group, with backing from Lancashire Youth and Community Services youth workers, originally won funding from the Barclays Youth Award scheme to convert a second-hand ambulance into a travelling centre.

The meeting place visits local neighbourhoods on a weekly rota: Healey Wood and Trinity on a Monday; Sedburgh Street and Thursby Road, Tuesday; Healey Wood and the town centre, Wednesday; Trinity and Stoneyholme, Thursday; and Stoneyholme again on Fridays.

"We are really glad Burnley Challenge Fund considered our committee for a grant. We know it's going to reduce a lot of juvenile nuisance in the future,'' said Charlotte Windle, who jointly chairs the ROBOT group. Keys for the caravanette will be handed over tomorrow by Burnley Council leader Coun Kath Reade.

She said: "We congratulate the young people for their initiative and enthusiasm in providing a much-needed service well used by local teenagers who don't have a local youth centre nearby.''

Coun Reade also chairs the Burnley Challenge Fund management committee, a public and private sector partnership.

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