Colchester SOS bus re-launched (From Gazette)
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Colchester SOS bus re-launched
4:18pm Sunday 2nd December 2012 in News
HELP was on hand for boozed up revellers enjoying Colchester’s nightlife on Saturday night.
The new Colchester SOS Bus, operated by Open Road, was launched by Colchester mayor Christopher Arnold at a special ceremony outside the at 6pm on Saturday.
Run by a team of trained volunteers, the bus will provide late night medical help for partygoers and provided a safe place for vulnerable revellers.
Wayne Powell, co-ordinator of the SOS bus, said his team assist between 10 and 15 people every night.
He said: “The idea is to reduce anti-social behaviour in the night time economy.
“We act as a ‘safe haven’ for those disoriented and at risk and we work with pubs, clubs and the Police to reduce anti-social behavior fuelled by drug and alcohol misuse.”
Councillor Tim Young, the cabinet member for community safety, said: “The bus gives people peace of mind, safety and security.
“The bus has been funded by the council which shows our commitment to this project and we are delighted with the result.
“I hope it is fixed in town for many years to come.”
See tomorrow’s Daily Gazette for more.
Comments(8)
Douglas Park
says...
1:19pm Mon 3 Dec 12
I think the pubs and clubs should certainly be maid to cough up towards the cost of running the SOS Bus as they cannot deny that they encourage a lot of the binge drinking by selling Jaeger bombs, vodka shots and the like to already inebriated people.
Of course personal responsibility plays a part. I'm sure most of us had a bit too much to drink back in the day, but it does seem to be a worrying trend amongst the 18-30s that going out on the lash is the norm, rather than an occasional bevvy.
There have always been bars who promoted "happy hour" or "doubles for singles" but there seems to be a huge market in alcoholic beverages that are designed specifically to get you very drunk, very quickly, rather than just for the enjoyment of a couple of pints or shorts to relax after a stressful week's work.
But well done to the volunteers at the SOS Bus. It's just a pity that their services are needed in the first place.
Reginald47
says...
2:26pm Mon 3 Dec 12
Barside1
says...
5:12pm Mon 3 Dec 12
Say It As It Is OK?
says...
5:28pm Mon 3 Dec 12
All funding, if the bus is necessary, should come directly from a levy put on town centre pubs and clubs. We know many young people arrive in town half cut, and that is not the pubs fault, however its these establishments who promote excess drinking into the early hours so they should fund the bus.
Yabba Dabba
says...
12:15am Wed 5 Dec 12
It is a shame that it is needed, but I for one am reassured to know that if ever I am in town on a weekend evening, there is a service to help me and keep me safe if I need it.
Say It As It Is OK?
says...
7:23am Wed 5 Dec 12
Yabba Dabba wrote:Your comments are valid but its not the responsibility of Council Tax payers to fund any of this! Surely illness and mental health issues are covered by other taxes we pay through the NHS. And if individuals (adults) get separated from friends then they all have phones to contact people with.
Fair comments above, but it has to be pointed out that the SOS Bus is not only there to deal with the effects of alcohol. The volunteers on the bus deal with all manner of issues from people who are suffering non-alcohol related illness or injury, mental health issues, people who find themselves lost in a new town (as is the way with new students), become separated from groups of friends, in need of general information, keep vulnerable people safe and so on.
It is a shame that it is needed, but I for one am reassured to know that if ever I am in town on a weekend evening, there is a service to help me and keep me safe if I need it.
Quite frankly this SOS bus is just a Booze support Bus. The volunteers do need congratulating, but 90% of what they do is deal with drunks.
hi to you all
says...
6:52pm Thu 6 Dec 12
romantic says...
12:13pm Mon 3 Dec 12
From what I see in town, it´s a fair bit quieter now than last year, which is mainly because people don´t have as much money.
But December is the time when people do go out on the town, quite often those who don´t do so very often. Office parties start out with a meal somewhere and end up with Shelley from accounts falling out of a nightclub at 2.00 am.
Council tax payers who never come to town at night will ask why their money should fund this, and they have a point. It´s a shame that the bars and clubs who reap so much benefit from the night-time economy do not put more towards it. Their responsibility cannot stop at the point where somebody leaves their place.
Many will also say that if somebody gets into a drunken state, it´s their problem and they should deal with the consequences. Again, they have a point. But it´s dealing with things as they are, rather than as they should be.
Many of the people on the bus are there to "put something back" after they had drunken times in their youth, and believe it or not, the kids who are stumbling down the High Street now will mostly turn into sentient adults!