Didcot TRAIN to leave Broadway premises over safety concerns

TRAIN works with young people going through a hard time, and many of the young people who attend are disadvantaged or vulnerable.

The charity is there to support young people in the Didcot area and help them make informed choices, avoid risky behaviours and find their way out of difficult situations, and also find their own voice.

But two weeks ago, on November 28, the charity was made homeless, after a recent survey of its base was carried out by the building's current landlords - South Oxfordshire District Council.

The site,118 Broadway, was later deemed unsafe and its windows have now been boarded up, leaving TRAIN unable to use the building.

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Alice Dore is the lead youth worker at TRAIN and said the news, although not entirely unexpected, has been a blow.

Ms Dore said: "We knew we were on borrowed time as the area of the Broadway is set for redevelopment, but it still came as a big disappointment to have to leave, compounded by the fact it was quite an abrupt ending."

The building was not just home to TRAIN, but also the local food bank, which has relocated to the Baptist Church, and the shop No Two Things.

In the letter voicing their concerns, the young people who are helped by TRAIN wrote: "We want you to know that we feel angry, sad, confused, annoyed and really let down because TRAIN has been our family, and families have homes, but ours has been taken away.

"It was our safe space, filled with our memories, a place where we could go to with all of our worries, where there would be someone we could trust no matter what, with no judgement."

The youth charity has been handed a lifeline, after being given the opportunity to run programmes at the Methodist Church, but it is still in search of a permanent home.

Ms Dore said: "Obviously this means big changes for us.

"After many years we have had to leave 118 Broadway, in search of a new premises.

"For the first week some staff had to work from home whilst sessions were run in various locations around the town to ensure TRAIN does not let down Didcot’s young people.

"We were then kindly offered two desks to work at from SOHA, other organisations also offered space to work from Oxfordshire Youth, Ark T, before the Methodist Church offered space to run programmes from and also to set up a temporary office space, meaning that we could be under one roof again.

"We move in today. However all of these spaces are very temporary and we are looking for a specific space for young people."

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The lack of a permanent base for the charity makes it harder to provide its walk-in support on a daily basis.

Ms Dore expressed her concerns and said: "We have worked hard to ensure that our programme runs as per usual and the majority of sessions have taken place.

"What it does mean is that at the moment young people can’t just walk in off the street and ask for support.

"This part of the service has been so valuable. Young people would often come in and talk with a member of staff if they had had a bad day at school, were finding things hard at home, to talk about substance misuse, to express their feelings, or they had become homeless - this is to name just a few. This part of the service is now much harder to offer."

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Despite the charities knock back TRAIN is still very much remaining strong.

The charity will be meeting with the building's landlords to find a new location to make a permanent home.

Aside from seeking a new place to call home, the youth charity is looking forward to its Christmas plans, including taking young people ice-skating and to the pantomime.

Landlord South Oxfordshire District Council said its recent building safety survey highlighted ‘several serious health and safety concerns’ at 118 Broadway, and neighbouring 116.

A spokesman for the authority said: “Didcot TRAIN are now using rooms at the Methodist Church on Broadway to host their outreach sessions and activities for young people, and we understand that TRAIN staff have alternative working arrangements to ensure no services are lost.

“We understand the Didcot Emergency Foodbank is operating from Didcot Baptist Church to allow them to deliver their vital service to families in the run up the Christmas.

“We continue to support and to help both charities with their search for suitable long-term accommodation, recognising the important services they provide to our local residents.”