Dear Friends,
The Wigan Circuit has made the hard decision that the Rock Bus project is no longer sustainable. It was very demanding on the energy of volunteers to drive and man the bus during sessions in the town, and it had become too much of a strain on too few people. Although the bus itself had also reached the point where repairs needed repairing, perhaps surprisingly it wasn't finances that brought us to this decision.
We're sincerely grateful for all the support, time, money and prayers that have been given to the project. Thank you so much. We have no doubt that it was worth it. Lives have been touched, and some will never be the same.
We're grateful to God for the privilege we've had of being involved in the project, and for what he's done through it. We're hoping to gather together some of the stories of the of the bus and the youngsters that have vsiited. Our youth worker Hayley is trying to put such stories together and make a booklet. Her message is below. Please read it and if you have something to share, get in touch.
God bless you and keep you.
Laurence Potter
on behalf of the Bus project Trustees
From Hayley James:
As we come to the end of The Rock Bus Project (at least in its previous form) it strikes me that the bus touched many lives, impacted many communities and was a source of light wherever it went. However for the majority of us in the circuit (and even in the district) we never got to hear the wonderful tales, small and large, that came from the work of ‘The Bus’. Therefore we have decided to put together the story of The Rock Bus, a book that will contain a narrative, told from our perspectives, detailing the journey, the people and the life of the project.
That’s where you come in. We are asking for you to share with us stories of The Rock Bus. It might be from your involvement in the project or it might be as an observer of the work. It might be an anecdote, a story, a funny memory or a conversation. It might be about you, a young person or your community. It doesn’t matter. Whatever you would like to contribute we would love to have. Once we’ve gathered enough material together, we will curate it, and turn it into a book of sorts, that will (hopefully) detail the ‘story’ of the project. Something that we can share with others, that might be an inspiration for future work and that will commemorate the years of wonderful outreach this project delivered.
If you are willing to help, I’d love to hear from you, just send me an email at hayleyjames@therockbus.org.uk