The vision of the united bus is to be a lifeline to the community throughout
the Horsham District. Carrying hope, love, life and fun into our District the bus aims to inspire and educate young people to help them live life to the full. The bus workers are consistently on hand to help young people with issues they face in their everyday lives; issues like bullying, drugs, alcohol, sex, relationships and faith.
Where we go...
Since converting the united bus from a London bus into a mobile youth centre nearly five years ago very little has changed on board… until this summer that is! Two really big improvements have been made over the summer which have not only improved the look inside the bus but also helped to improve the way it works.
Admin area:
Click on the image above to view a slideshow of the recent refurbishment work
The admin area on the bus has always been a bit hit and miss. We have a seat between the driver's cab and the service counter which we have kept out yellow admin box and the stock for the tuck shop. As there was no real structure to it, inevitably it would descend into a mess quite quickly and things would become hard to find. Throughout the last year the team planned how best to redevelop this seat into an admin area. The final result as you can see is a fantastic improvement! Now our sound system is fully rack mounted in place so we don't need to risk wearing it out by constantly getting it in and out of the cupboards. The stock is stored in a far more useable manner on the drawers in the centre section. Also the smaller pieces like spare playstation games and pens/pencils are all neatly stowed away in their own compartments. The bright red worktops finish off the refit brilliantly, the whole team are delighted with the new look!
Craft Tables:
Due to a persistent water leak on the upper deck the original craft tables that were installed had been quite badly water damaged. Over the summer the old damaged tables were removed and these fantastic new worktops installed. The new craft tables are double the strength of the previous ones… and look pretty smart too! They have been exceptionally well received by everyone who comes aboard the bus regularly!
Click on the image above to view a slideshow of united bus pictures
History...
The united bus has been in operation since April 2005. It grew out of the
youth work of Kingdom Faith Church (which was called united at that time). The aim of the united bus was to take the life and vibrancy of united out to the people who were unable to make it to the NRC for our weekly Saturday night event. For this reason the united bus has always had a focus on rural areas. When the united bus is running at its full capacity it can reach at well over 100 people in a week! Because the bus targets areas where there may not be adequate youth service provision it is very popular with the young people it serves.
How to get involved...
Hopefully you have
seen the photos of
the bus travelling around Horsham, and read a bit about our history, vision. You may have even begun to catch the vision and feel inspired by what is going on. Maybe you’re thinking… "how can I get involved?"
There are three main ways we can help you get on board with the united bus:
- Prayer - we believe prayer works and we think it's a great way to support the united bus. If you would like to receive a monthly prayer letter from the bus please email us asking for your name
to be added to the list at the email address below
- Money - some people think it makes the world go round… but we know it makes our wheels go round! If you are interested in supporting the bus financially why not pledge a regular gift to us.
Even small amounts can make a big difference!
- Team - you could come and learn how to work on the bus and be a part of the brilliant team that helps support young people throughout the District. If you're a born driver, why not train to become one of our united bus drivers. For more information contact us using the information below
