A charity offering crucial services to young people with challenging lives celebrated its official launch earlier today.
BEST founder and CEO Don Bryden, left, with North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson
BEST - Be a Better You offers bespoke one-to-one mentoring programmes for people aged 11-25 who are at risk, and also has enrichment programs for schools and holiday activities for people aged 5-16.
The organisation, which has already been serving the community for some time, held its official launch at its new premises in Dorcan.
Those present included mentors, young people, Wiltshire Deputy Lieutenant Shirley Ludford, North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson and Mayor of Swindon Cllr Abdul Amin.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was performed by local World's Strongest Man competitor Laurence Shahlaei.
BEST's founder and CEO Don Bryden, a Swindon businessman, said: "I'm overwhelmed with the support, overwhelmed with the people here, overwhelmed with the way the day has gone.
"I'm determined to take what we have now into something even better over the next 12 months.
"My ambition is to get a community centre in Swindon where youngsters can come and have fun and enjoy themselves in every single field without the fear of getting hurt, where they can get support if they have any problems.
"I want to grow this into a national thing. If I can have academies throughout the UK wherever we need to go, I've got the will to do it - I just need the support."
North Swindon MP Mr Tomlinson said: "This is absolutely fantastic. I went to a school at the bottom of the league tables - two of my best friends ended up on a very different path and ended up in prison.
"One of the things that drove me into politics was around social mobility, but also recognising that we need constructive activities and support for young people as they are shaping their future direction, and this is a brand new organisation which provides some really tangible constructive support, and that will make a genuine difference to some people who are in desperate need of that support."
The charity always welcomes hearing from people or organisations who feel they may be able to help its work.
Further information about that work can be found at www.bestrust.co.uk and www.facebook.com/bestswindon/
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