Salvation Army sets up teen coffee bar in Bedlington

Jul 3 2010 The Journal

A VOLUNTARY organisation has been given council help to open a coffee bar for young people in a Northumberland town.

The Salvation Army was awarded a grant of £1,800 by the county council towards the cost of setting up the facility at its Hartford Road West meeting hall in Bedlington.

The idea for the drop-in centre came from local youngsters who said they would like to have a club for 13 to 16-year-olds in the town.

The Salvation Army then set about securing the funding required to make it a reality.

The coffee bar is currently open every other Friday and is run by a qualified youth worker. Teenagers have the opportunity to meet friends, socialise and take part in activities such as snooker, table tennis and Wii computer games.

Team building activities and challenges are also laid on, aimed at encouraging decision-making, respect for others and the development of social and life skills.

Youth worker Jason Tasker said: “We already run a very successful junior club for children aged seven to 12.

“The new coffee bar has provided an extension to this facility and enables us to continue to nurture the teenagers through to early adulthood. It is proving very popular, with up to 30 teenagers regularly turning up to socialise and take part in a variety of activities.’’