SOS Bus

SOS Bus is coming to Harwich

The bus will engage local residents to access important services locally to meet their needs.

The SOS bus will be outside the Park Pavilion in Harwich on Monday 1st March from 10am to 3pm.

Just pop by.

“If you are looking for a job, interested in a change of career or want to get back onto work then come along to the Jobs Fair as there are opportunities for everyone.”

Past exhibitors have included: Stansted Airport, Anglian Water, BT Martlesham, Sainsbury’s, Alston’s, Dura Composites, Surya Hotels & Surya Foods, Lifehouse Spa & Hotel, The Armed forces, Essex University and Colchester Institute.

Harwich Town Council – 26th February 2021

SOS Bus pulls into Clacton town centre to provide support

A medical and welfare bus specialising in providing support to vulnerable residents in need pulled into a seaside town and will return next year. The Road SOS Bus, which is normally found in Colchester High Street, parked up on Christmas Tree Island, in Clacton’s town centre, last week.

Workers offered support to local residents who are either homeless, at risk of homeless, street drinking, or in need of assistance and support services.

The trial run was organised in partnership with Shelter & Health Enlisting Local Support group and North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group.

The trip to Clacton was orchestrated to see how useful the service might be with regards to helping people in the area.

Mark Shorter, from the NEECCG, said: “We had no idea how successful this would be, and I was a little apprehensive.

“However, more than 30 people accessed the bus for support during the five hours it was there, which was really encouraging.”

On board was representation from Open Road, the Health Advocate Summit, a mental health nurse and social prescribers from Community Voluntary Services Tendring.

In the future, the intention is for the bus to have more organisations joining in to offer nursing, housing, and benefit support.

As well as being able to directly assist residents, the organisations can signpost people to the most appropriate local service.

The positive respond resulted in the bus returning for a second week and it is scheduled to return at some point within the New Year.

Steve Wood, welfare area manager for Open Road added: “This is only the second week that the SOS bus has been here and although we didn’t tell people in advance that we were coming, the turnout has been amazing.

“More than double the number of residents from last week which clearly shows there is a strong need for this service.

“We want to do all we can to support residents with health and housing issues; ideally assisting them before they reach crisis point.”

Clacton Gazette – 18th December 2020

Open Road SOS Bus takes a trip to the seaside

The Open Road SOS Bus, which is normally found on Colchester High Street, made its debut on Christmas Tree Island in Clacton last Friday to offer support to local residents who are homeless, at risk of homeless, street drinking or just in need of local support services.

Organised in partnership with SHELLS (Shelter Health Enlisting Local Support) the bus trip was a trial run to see how useful the service might be, consequently there was no promotion done in advance.

Mark Shorter, from the north east Essex Clinical Commissioning Group, who helped to organise the visit explained: “We had no idea how successful this would be, and I was a little apprehensive, however over 30 people accessed the bus for support during the 5 hours the bus was there, which was really encouraging.”

On board the bus was representation from Open Road, the SUMMIT health advocate, an EPUT mental health nurse and social prescribers from Community Voluntary Services Tendring. The intention is for the bus to have more organisations joining in the future to offer nursing, housing, and benefit support. As well as being able to directly assist residents, the organisations can signpost people to the most appropriate local service.

So positive was the visit, that the bus returned to Clacton today. Steve Wood, Welfare Area Manager for Open Road said “This is only the second week that the SOS bus has been here and although we did tell people in advance that we were coming, the turnout has been amazing.

More than double the number of residents from last week which clearly shows there is a strong need for this service. We want to do all we can to support residents with health and housing issues; ideally assisting them before they reach crisis point”.

For this reason, the bus will be returning to Clacton in the new year – same time (Friday 10am to 3pm) same place (Christmas Tree Island)!

Actual Radio – 18th December 2020