SOS Bus

SOSBusBasildon

Since 2006 the SOS Bus has provided a safe haven in Southend in the form of a converted double decker bus which is positioned in the town centre high street by McDonald’s and Marks & Spencer between 9pm and 4am Friday and Saturday nights.

At the safe haven are first aiders, youth and voluntary workers with a selection of alcohol, drug and solvent abuse advisors.

The bus is equipped to enable basic first aid, counseling, and provides people with a safe environment until assistance is arranged, as well as literature on alcohol and drug education/intervention support services.

In 2011 Southend YMCA launched the Basildon SOS Bus, based at Festival Leisure Park near Liquid & Envy Nightclubs.

The team have a radio connecting them to the Town Link Radio System co-ordinated from the Towns CCTV control centre. They also have a mobile phone to contact parents, relatives, friends etc of vulnerable people and or support services.

A mobile support vehicle is used to collect vulnerable people from other parts of the town and take them to the SOS Bus. The support vehicle has contact with the bus via a mobile phone so everyone is aware of arising situations. The vehicle carries out regular patrols of the town centre ensuring presence also patrolling the vulnerable areas where people may wander to. On occasions it will be used to convey the vulnerable home – e.g. the very young.

Referrals to the Southend & Basildon SOS Bus' can be made by anyone; particularly partners in the project such as the local authority CCTV control centre, nightclubs and Essex Police.

All the volunteers are CRB checked and receive regular extensive training.

The project relies solely on public funding. None of the volunteers are paid by the project.

Statement of purpose:- To provide a safe haven for vulnerable people of all ages. The project is the first point of contact for those whose well-being is threatened by - inability to get home, illness, minor injury, emotional distress or other vulnerability including alcohol and drug misuse.

Has the SOS Bus helped you? Please let us know. See testaments to the work the SOS Bus' have done from Essex Police here. If you would like to make a donation to Southend YMCA and the SOS Bus you can do so via our here.

SOS Bus raises over £1000 from fashion show

Written by Marilyn Kerrigan | 03 July 2012

My fundraising project for this year was to hold a fundraising fashion show - not something I've ever done before.

April 19th saw the Southend YMCA SOS Bus host its first fashion fundraiser. The event turned out to be loads of fun for all involved and the event managed to raise over a thousand pounds - £1,121.36.

Travelling Trends supplied the fashion and we supplied the models, these were chosen to appeal to the audience expected. Local businesses generously donated several raffle prizes, these together with a variety of delicious cakes creating a sucessful cake sale, helped contribute to a great evening of fun and entertainment.

The SOS Bus is reliant on it's strong team of volunteers and all of course would not have been possible without their input on the welcoming desk, tea bar, cake stall and raffle sales. Don't miss out on next years one! Make a donation to Southend YMCA to help support project like the SOS Bus by clicking here.

Volunteering Fund - SOS Bus Case Study

28 June 2012

The Volunteering Fund for Health and Social Care have

recently released their Annual Report. They took this opportunity to show case some of the exceleent projects that have recieved funding. The SOS Bus recieved a nice case study article.

This fund combines grant funding with hands-on support for small organisations. The support package helps organisations to build their capacity to ensure long-term sustainability. In the first funding round for the local grant scheme, 43 organisations were funded for projects on a wide range of subjects, enabling the recruitment of 517 new volunteers who have supported more than four thousand people.

They stated "Southend YMCA, is just one example of our fantastic success stories. With the help of the HSCVF, projects have used innovative approaches, like time banking, to tailor their services to meet the needs of a diverse range of service users. Ex-service users have been recruited as volunteers to engage with hard to reach groups. Our projects have created a positive impact on the local community, empowering target groups and changing lives."

A night on Southend YMCA's SOS Bus

Written by Mike Bromfield | 19 February 2012

I'm a member of staff at Southend YMCA, as a youth worker on the Motivate volunteering project assisting with it's coordination, as well as getting involved with managing social media and updating this website (that's me, over on the left). I've been working at the organisation now for just over 2 years, and ever since I started I've (on many an occasion) said to John Bastin, SOS Bus co-ordinator, that I would volunteer for a night.

I finally decided it was about time I followed through on my word, but I wanted to somehow give something extra to John and his hard working group of volunteers and to the project.

Since Southend YMCA has started using Social Media it has vastly increased our web presence and last year we did a twitter takeover for Sam Duckworth (AKA Get Cape. Get Cape. Fly) in Switch Studio. I wanted to do something similar again as an experiment. I want to spread the great work that the SOS Bus does, and a twitter takeover, with pictures, and audio updates on audioboo seemed like a great way to put out the facts, figures and let people know what its like to experiance a night with the SOS Bus.

I arrived in Southend High Street at 8:30pm, the blue and yellow double decker bus was already in place, and John was the designated staff member for tonight, alongside 8 volunteers (including myself). It's powered off of a small generator in the side of the bus, to give us light, power the kettle and turn on the heater (and trust me, these were much appreciate come 2am!). Most people in Southend would have seen the SOS Bus at some point, whether it's out of a Friday or Saturday night, or at one of the many events we provide first aid support to throughout the year.

Southend Police Inspector raises money for SOS Bus

28 November 2011

Southend Police Inspector, Leigh Norris, has raised £1042 for Southend YMCA's SOS Bus.

He put himself through his paces to take part in a testing battle of stamina, the Iron Man Wales challenge.

As part of the event he swam 2.4 miles, cycled 112 miles and ran 26.2 miles, all within 17 hours.

Led by John Bastin, the vehicle parks in Southend High Street and offers assistance to vulnerable people who may be drunk, injured, or unwell.

Leigh Norris - Ironman Raising Money For The SOS Bus

06 September 2011

Leigh Norris Inspector for Southend Central Neighbourhood has taken up the challenge, the great and notorious Ironman Challenge in aid of the SOS Bus.

Leigh is competing in Ironman Wales in Tenby, South Wales this coming weekend (Sunday 11/9/2011). This is a full distance triathlon whereby Lee is required to swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles and run 26.2 miles, all within 17 hours. The added challenge is that there are cut off times for both the swim and bike sections whereby you can be disqualified if you fail to complete either (or both) disciplines within these times.