A GROUP of young people aim to conquer The Cobbler this weekend to help buy a minibus for a Renfrewshire charity.

Around 15 youngsters will climb the landmark in Argyll and Bute on Saturday as part of a fundraising campaign organised by Youth Interventions (YI), which supports teenagers battling addiction and poor mental health.

Louise Dempsey, YI manager, said a minibus would help ensure young people don’t miss out on the charity’s activities by providing reliable transport to and from their homes.

She told The Gazette: “We have been doing doorstep visits over this last year and it has really allowed us to get a feel of our young people’s family circumstances.

“Sometimes they aren’t able to come to appointments because mum or dad can’t take them there, so we want to take that out of the equation by having a minibus.

“We also want to take them out and about to go up hills and visit lochs because, often, they don’t have as many opportunities as other youngsters. We want to broaden their horizons.”

The charity runs one-to-one and group support sessions at its hub in Linwood’s Mossedge Village and, during the pandemic, has continued its face-to-face services with young people while following Covid guidelines.

So far, £1,500 has been raised towards the cost of a minibus, with shoe firm Pavers donating £1,000 through its charitable foundation.

Louise, 49, said: “The kids have painted a huge barometer on the wall to mark the fundraising total, so we’ll just keep adding to it.

“We’ve set a goal of £10,000, which we know is high, but we’re going to try to achieve that over the course of a year.”

To support the fundraising drive, make a donation at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/youthinterventions1.