Fawley (September 8, 2006) -- Forest Bus, a community centre on wheels, based in the New Forest and Romsey area, has recently received a £1,000 donation from Esso and ExxonMobil Chemical at Fawley. The converted lorry and coach have benefited from new facilities including record decks, snooker table, karaoke and Play Station games.

Forest Bus is a mobile project, which delivers community development work in areas of rural and urban isolation. The staff and volunteers take resources into areas where there is a lack of facilities, particularly for young people and their families and especially those who are excluded from mainstream activities - due to where they live, ill health, lack of financial resources or ethnicity. This helps them engage in a range of educational, health based, social and recreational pursuits, which they would otherwise be unable to do.

Jane Peacock, general manager, said: “We are really grateful to ExxonMobil. Funding is a major issue for all charities at the present time and it is organisations in the commercial world who make a positive contribution to the work of local charities such as ourselves. We could not manage without their support.”

Aurelia Bruning of ExxonMobil Community Affairs went along to visit Forest Bus to see how the money had been spent. Aurelia commented: “Forest Bus provides a unique service in the area, and I am delighted that we were able to help the charity financially, enabling them to enhance the excellent services that they deliver.”