A NEW coffee shop has been opened in Bolton to fund youth work in high schools.

Third Space Coffee Shop in Deansgate is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run charity which works with 11 to 16-year-olds.

The charity aims to help youngsters with topics such a peer pressure, bullying, sexual relationships and mental and emotional wellbeing.

Since the charity was founded at the beginning of this year, a volunteer school youth worker has been working with pupils in church schools St Katherine's, St James', Rivington and Blackrod and Canon Slade.

The organisation is now hoping that it will be able grow its volunteer base and go into more schools in the borough and open a youth group.

John Hopkins, aged 23, who volunteers in the cafe shop said: “We are really concentrating on mental wellbeing and emotional wellbeing.

“The government has a big push on wellbeing on how the kids feel about themselves and confidence and that is what we want to help with.

“It’s not so much going in to the schools and saying “this is what we can do”, it’s a conversation with the pupils and asking them 'is there something that we can do for them?'.”

The cafe, which is open Monday to Saturday, was opened by the Bishop of Bolton and uses its profits to fund its upkeep and youth work.

Mr Hopkins added: “The coffee shop has been going really well.

"We try to source everything locally because it's really important to keep this as community based as possible.

“Lots of people have been coming in and expressing what a great idea it is.

“People can go to Costa Coffee and feel a bit guilty on spending the money, but if you know the money you are spending is going to a good cause, people tend to feel better about it.

“We just want more people to know about it now.”