The YMCA SOS Bus project in Southend has been given a lifeline in the form of a replacement bus donated by Arriva.
The company saw the SOS Bus when it was featured on YMCA’s episode of Channel 4’s Undercover Boss and decided it was time for the project to receive a much-needed upgrade.
The SOS Bus team is a group of trained volunteers who have been giving up their Friday and Saturday evenings since 2006 in order to help people in distress on a night out, subsequently saving the local ambulance service significant amounts of time, money and resource. The project has proved to be vital and heavily relied upon by those who are young, vulnerable or in need, but with the current 28 year old bus coming to the end of its life, funding was desperately needed to maintain the service.
Last week however, Arriva came to the rescue, handing Southend YMCA the keys to a more modern bus.
Volunteer Connor Baillie, 21, said: “The help from Arriva couldn’t have come at a better time because our current bus is on its last legs. The new bus will not only provide a more inviting and user-friendly space for locals, but it will also equip the volunteers to do their jobs more efficiently, and ultimately make them even more proud to work there.”
The gifted double-decker still needs to be refurbished and modified to suit its purpose and Southend YMCA have launched a £70,000 fundraising appeal so it can be kitted out with the latest equipment to cater for a variety of emergencies including first aid, advice and counselling.
John Bastin, project manager of the Southend SOS Bus, said: “We cannot thank Arriva enough for this donation. We’ve been working together for a while now, but we’re blown away by their generosity. I’d also like to thank the volunteers of the bus, who give up their time to come and run the bus with us, because without them and Arriva there would be no service.”
Glen Shuttleworth, general manager of Arriva Southend, said: “It’s such a worthwhile cause. Our organisations have collaborated for 10 years now and this is just a mere token of our gratitude for their service.”
To find out more about the YMCA SOS Bus Project and how to help them raise the money to fully refurbish their new bus, visit the website.