Last night, thieves stole and torched our minibus. They took it from outside our Centre in Andover, set light to it and dumped it in the New Forest overnight.

We are devastated by the news. Not only will this incur costs to the charity, but it will also impact our ability to support children and young people across the county.

Madeleine Durie, Chief Executive Officer of Youth Options said:

'We are so upset that someone would do this, and particularly to a charity minibus. We had fundraised to buy the minibus and it was used daily to transport children to our youth centre in Andover, and to take children to outings during the school holidays. Only last week, we had used the minibus to enable children from Andover to visit our outdoor learning centre in Eastleigh where they got to build dens and cook on campfires. They had such a great time, they didn't want to leave. Without the use of the minibus, we wouldn't have been able to give them those opportunities.'

Whilst we are insured it won't cover the costs of a new vehicle and increased insurance costs. There are also a number of transport and associated costs we need to cover in the meantime, including alternative transport, to continue our services.

If you are able to donate or share this page to someone who can, we would be incredibly grateful for your support.