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| SOS Bus wins award at EDP Business Awards |
| The SOS Bus was awarded a 'Special Recognition' Award in the Customer Care Plus category, sponsored by Aviva, at the... |
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| CNS Health Fair |
| The SOS Bus attended the City of Norwich School Health Fair with members of the Matthew Project delivering information on... |
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| SOS Bus volunteer visit to Downing Street |
| A member of the SOS Bus team was given the opportunity to visit 10 Downing Street as part of Company... |
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Latest News-
SOS Bus wins 'Special Recognition Award' at EDP Business Awards!
The SOS Bus was awarded a 'Special Recognition' Award in the Customer Care Plus category, sponsored by Aviva, at the EDP Business Awards. The judges were so impressed by the team that they included an extra award in the category in order to recognise the work of the SOS Bus.
The Evening News are running a series of articles in conjunction with the anniversary. Comments below:
'With the SOS Bus there's almost nothing left to say - it's been praised so much over the years. It's done a huge amount of good in the city and has been a life saver for many people and has become a flagship which others have copied. It's all praise to everyone who had anything to do with it - those involved in setting it up and those that keep it going, particularly the volunteers'
Julian Foster, Chairman of the Central Norwich Citizens' Forum
'It's a pioneering pilot project of genius which has been put into other cities and towns in the country. We're very, very lucky to have the support of the volunteers that we do to have it on a weekly basis - we're very spoilt and lucky and long may it stay'
Toby Middleton, operations manager of Mercy nightclub
'The SOS Bus has helped keep people safe and has stopped a lot of problems from escalating which could have been a lot worse. It's not simply about people who have been overdoing it in clubland - there are a lot of people with other problems that the bus has managed to help. It's a brilliant service and I hope it continues for a long time yet.'
Steve Morphew, leader of Norwich City Council
'The SOS Bus is a fantastic and innovative project which owes a great deal to the work and commitment of a number of people and organisations. My role was simply one of encouragement but I feel that the whole project has stamped its message both on Norwich and more widely'
Charles Clarke, former Norwich South MP
'Having helped almost 6,500 people since it was first set up in 2001 the project has more than proved its worth and the Evening Neews will, as it has done over the past decade, continue to champion the bus which has been one of the biggest success stories in Norwich in the past 10 years'
Tim Williams, Evening News editor
See full articles in press section
Do you want to help make Norwich a safer place?
Do you like working in a team?!
Are you 18 or over?
For more information call 01603 763111 or download one of our application packs, under ‘How to volunteer’
The SOS Bus was awarded a 'Special Recognition' Award in the Customer Care Plus category, sponsored by Aviva, at the EDP Business Awards. The judges were so impressed by the team that they included an extra award in the category in order to recognise the work of the SOS Bus.
Sponsored bike ride in support of
the SOS Bus!
The SOS Bus team gave vital assistance to a young man who was critically injured over the New Year period (see copies of news articles in the press section) and as a thank you to the team friends of John Stanford have organised a sponsored bike ride to Amsterdam to raise funds for the bus. They are hoping to raise at least £3000 for the project, please visit their fundraising page at http://www.justgiving.com/sos-savedourstanners and give your support.
See our facebook page for photos from the fundraising event at the Forum.
the SOS Bus!
The SOS Bus team gave vital assistance to a young man who was critically injured over the New Year period (see copies of news articles in the press section) and as a thank you to the team friends of John Stanford have organised a sponsored bike ride to Amsterdam to raise funds for the bus. They are hoping to raise at least £3000 for the project, please visit their fundraising page at http://www.justgiving.com/sos-savedourstanners and give your support.
See our facebook page for photos from the fundraising event at the Forum.
SOS Bus 10th Anniversary!
The pioneering SOS Bus project has been in existence for 10 years providing help and support in the centre of Norwich every week.
The pioneering SOS Bus project has been in existence for 10 years providing help and support in the centre of Norwich every week.
The Evening News are running a series of articles in conjunction with the anniversary. Comments below:
'With the SOS Bus there's almost nothing left to say - it's been praised so much over the years. It's done a huge amount of good in the city and has been a life saver for many people and has become a flagship which others have copied. It's all praise to everyone who had anything to do with it - those involved in setting it up and those that keep it going, particularly the volunteers'
Julian Foster, Chairman of the Central Norwich Citizens' Forum
'It's a pioneering pilot project of genius which has been put into other cities and towns in the country. We're very, very lucky to have the support of the volunteers that we do to have it on a weekly basis - we're very spoilt and lucky and long may it stay'
Toby Middleton, operations manager of Mercy nightclub
'The SOS Bus has helped keep people safe and has stopped a lot of problems from escalating which could have been a lot worse. It's not simply about people who have been overdoing it in clubland - there are a lot of people with other problems that the bus has managed to help. It's a brilliant service and I hope it continues for a long time yet.'
Steve Morphew, leader of Norwich City Council
'The SOS Bus is a fantastic and innovative project which owes a great deal to the work and commitment of a number of people and organisations. My role was simply one of encouragement but I feel that the whole project has stamped its message both on Norwich and more widely'
Charles Clarke, former Norwich South MP
'Having helped almost 6,500 people since it was first set up in 2001 the project has more than proved its worth and the Evening Neews will, as it has done over the past decade, continue to champion the bus which has been one of the biggest success stories in Norwich in the past 10 years'
Tim Williams, Evening News editor
See full articles in press section
Don't forget our emergency number!
07833 505505
Friday and Saturday 9.00pm - 3.00am
07833 505505
Friday and Saturday 9.00pm - 3.00am
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR
THE SOS BUS!
THE SOS BUS!
Do you want to help make Norwich a safer place?
Do you like working in a team?!
Are you 18 or over?
For more information call 01603 763111 or download one of our application packs, under ‘How to volunteer’
How the project started
In late 2000 two teenagers were found dead in the river after a night out in the city clubland area. A short while later a third young person was found dead in the toilets of a city nightclub due to alcohol related problems. The age of these youths was from 17-21 years of age.
These tragic events received a lot of media attention in the local papers. The City’s nightclub Managers decided to come together and form a Nightclub Liaison Committee. They invited statutory and voluntary agencies to join with them to try and prevent any further tragedies.
In late 2000 two teenagers were found dead in the river after a night out in the city clubland area. A short while later a third young person was found dead in the toilets of a city nightclub due to alcohol related problems. The age of these youths was from 17-21 years of age.
These tragic events received a lot of media attention in the local papers. The City’s nightclub Managers decided to come together and form a Nightclub Liaison Committee. They invited statutory and voluntary agencies to join with them to try and prevent any further tragedies.
1. A radio system that linked all the clubs, pubs and the police together.
2. A sticker that could be displayed in pub and club windows which showed that anybody in trouble could use the phone at those premises, free of charge, to phone for help or to call home.
3. A safe haven for people to attend at time of need for whatever reason.
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SOS Sticker The ‘SOS - Phone a friend from here’ sticker was designed by a local company and printed and paid for by our local Evening News.
SOS Bus (safe haven) A local church -Proclaimers in Norwich - offered the use of their ex-Berlin city bus as a mobile safe haven. It is a 57 foot long bendi-bus with running water, power and heating. The community and local businesses provided all the items that were required to make the project work. Within six weeks the SOS Bus was on the streets. The launch date was 27th April 2001.
Norwich North Alpha Lions Clubhave raised £650 for the project, thank you!
SOS Bus team member visits Downing Street A member of the SOS Bus team was given the opportunity to visit 10 Downing Street as part of Company magazines ‘Get Home Safely Campaign’. Lynsey Eagle talked to David Cameron and the Home Secretary Theresa May about the role the SOS Bus plays in helping women get home safely and said that, ‘Both the prime minister and the home secretary felt that the SOS Bus was a positive and valuable project’ (see article in press section).
Sainsburys at Longwater raise over £2000 for SOS Bus!
Sainsburys at Longwater have been fundraising for the SOS Bus project for the last year and have raised the amazing total of £2761.00. A huge thank you to all of the Sainsburys team for their support. (See picture in news)
City College Media Student visit to bus
A student from City College visited the bus on 27th March as part of her social media package course. Read her experience of the visit in the latest news section.
The launch of the new and improved SOS Bus project took place on Friday 21st November 2008
The money from the campaign to purchase new vehicles after the breakdown of the old SOS bendi-bus has enabled the project to expand with the purchase of two new vehicles - an 11.8m Optare Versa and an 8.8m Optare Solo.
The Versa is the new SOS/Educational Bus and is available during the day for use by schools and agencies as well as being out at the weekend operating as a safe haven.
The Solo is a fully equipped medical unit, providing increased medical care to clients and therefore saving the resources of the A&E department. Both buses are operational during an SOS bus shift.
East of England Ambulance Service are running First Responder scheme using the SOS Bus as a city centre base of operations and also have their own vehicle for quick response.
Please see the rest of our website for more information.
From April 2001 to November 2008 the Original SOS Bus helped 5050 people
From November 2008 the new SOS Bus has helped 1451 people and the Medical Unit has given aid to 586 people
Please see our Press section for more detailed statistics
Mission Statement
"The SOS Bus is a multi-agency initiative to meet the needs of any person in Norwich's clubland at night. It is a first point of contact for those whose well-being is threatened by: inability to get home, illness or injury, emotional distress or other vulnerability"
Primary purpose of project
To offer immediate assistance to clients at risk presenting themselves to the facility.
"The SOS Bus is a multi-agency initiative to meet the needs of any person in Norwich's clubland at night. It is a first point of contact for those whose well-being is threatened by: inability to get home, illness or injury, emotional distress or other vulnerability"
Primary purpose of project
To offer immediate assistance to clients at risk presenting themselves to the facility.
Such client needs could be:
Please browse our site using the contents list on the left. You'll find lots of information about the Home Safe & Sound Project, the SOS Bus, and all about the people & organisations who help to run it, and who have helped to get it up and running.
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