A NORTH Belfast youth club has been left "devastated" after their minibus was vandalised at the weekend.
Deanby Youth Club in the Oldpark shared news of the incident following a break-in at the youth club grounds on Sunday.
The minibus has been left badly damaged with all of the windows and both wing mirrors smashed.
"It is heartbreaking to see something that means so much to our young people damaged in this way," the youth club said in a statement.
"We have worked incredibly hard to get this minibus back on the road. Through fundraising, saving every penny we could, and putting in countless hours of work, we had almost reached our goal. We were just one repaired indicator away from having it ready for use.
"As many youth clubs will understand, transport takes up a huge portion of our already limited summer funding. Getting our own minibus back on the road would have allowed us to take our young people on trips, activities, and experiences without placing even more pressure on our budget.
"Like many community organisations, we work with very limited funding, but we always do our very best to provide the highest quality youth provision for local young people. To have something we have worked so hard for destroyed like this is truly heartbreaking.
"This isn't just damage to a vehicle, it is damage to opportunities for the young people in our community.
"We have reported the incident to the PSNI, and they are dealing with the matter. If anyone witnessed anything suspicious or has any information that could help, we would encourage you to contact our page or the PSNI, quoting the relevant incident details if requested.
"Despite this setback, we will continue to do everything we can for our young people. We would like to thank everyone for their continued support, it means more than you know.
"Our hope is that whoever is responsible reflects on the impact of their actions, not just on property, but on the opportunities they have taken away from local young people.
"Together, we can continue to support the young people of the Oldpark and surrounding areas who deserve better."
Local Councillor Paul McCusker said the attack was "disgusting".
"The club was working hard to get the bus back on the road. If anyone has any information please share it. We need to get behind the club to get this bus fixed and in use," he added.
