Since 2001 Croydon Community Bus has been visiting young people across the borough who often live in areas where there are few, if any, services for children and young people.

Arthur Blackman, project manager, said: "The bus gives young people something to do in the evenings. They get to know staff and build up relationships with adults. Young people can see adults as a problem as they don't have much to do with them, which is sad."

Croydon Community Bus was this year's Croydon Champions charity and last week was presented with a cheque made up to £1,000 by the Croydon Guardian.

The charity is run by employed staff and volunteers who travel around Croydon during weekday afternoons and evenings to advise and support young people.

The bus, which is free for the children who attend, is equipped with a television, DVD and video player, tuck shop, "chill-out" area, table games, information leaflets, video games, karaoke and art equipment.

It provides a safe space for children to talk about the issues affecting them and the charity already has plans for the money they received last week.

Arthur said: "We are doing up the art room, converting it from a computer room and we will use the money for the conversion."

The charity is also raising funds to buy a second bus so it can visit more people and use it as a back-up should mechanical problems force one off the road.

Arthur added: "Buying the bus is cheap, it is the conversion that costs money. We have £10,000 put by but we need around £35,000."

Young people in different parts of the borough come up against different problems, so the work carried out by staff varies.

Issues dealt with include relationships with parents, teenage pregnancies, drug education, bullying and further education.

Last year Croydon Community Bus made contact with more than 900 young people and there were 3,500 visits to it.

The areas the bus visits are suggested by five different housing associations and Croydon Council's housing department, which pays the charity on a commission basis.

Arthur said: "We started going out two evenings a week but we now go out five evenings, visiting areas like New Addington and Broad Green. We also go out in the school holidays working with Croydon Children's Fund."

Each area is visited five to 10 times with a programme of events looking at drug and sexual health as well as antisocial behaviour and its effects.

After hearing the bus had been picked by the Croydon Champions committee, Arthur added: "It made my day. It is an honour because so many people applied."

The bus is available for organisations that require a venue for consultation exercises, mediation between tenants in dispute, events to promote a new service, recreational activities for young people to reduce vandalism on estates and fun days.

For more information call Arthur on 020 8686 1414.