Work about to start to transform London double decker into 'Big Red Night Bus' for Blackpool's homeless population

The Big Red Night Bus, founded by the Amazing Graze soup kitchen following a donation from Odyssey Coach Sales, will provide emergency accommodation for to up to 10 homeless people each night, with volunteers on hand to carry out drug and alcohol tests and give advice about recovery services.

Renovation of the double-decker is due to begin next week thanks to £50,000 of donations from generous local people and businesses, raised over the course of a year.

The project still needs to raise at least £15,000 more before it can be completed, however.

Amazing Graze founder Mark Butcher said: “We have plans for the summer, over the next 16 weeks, to do all sorts of different fund-raising events and try to get over the hill with the help of local people. We’re doing coffee mornings, cake sales, and we have a collection rally going on the day after Easter. It’s all about bringing the community together to get over that final hurdle.

"We’re absolutely blown away with what we have raised so far, because the public have been so generous. Every time we ask for something we ask with great care, because people are really pushed at the moment. We know how difficult it is. So we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the good people of Blackpool.

"The business community has been so helpful. Rowland Homes (Preston New Road) put £25,000 into the pot, price-matching the £25,000 we raised, which is incredible really.

"We’ve had donations from all over the world which is quite amazing, because we’re only a small charity.”

READ: Iconic London bus to be transformed into mobile homeless shelter on streets of Blackpool

Once in operation, the night bus will be situated at Blackpool Airport from Monday to Thursday, and will respond to emergency call-outs as needed. On Friday night, the bus will be driven to Amazing Graze on Bolton Street, where it will pick up any homeless people in need of a bed for the night. It will then be driven to St John’s Square for another pick-up, before heading to the walk-in centre on Whitegate Drive, where it will remain parked for the rest of the night.

Mark said: “The people that we serve are the inspiration, because we know how grateful they are for the service we offer. We’re trying to do right by the donations that come in from schools and churches. If everybody does a little bit, it adds up, and that is what we are seeing here. Everybody is doing their bit, and it’s amounting to something considerable.

"We have got a difficult kob on our hands, we appreciate that it’s hard to be inspired when you’re dealing with people in poverty, however when we see the kind natures of the individuals and the generosity of volunteers, that’s the inspiring part.

"The fact is that people have come to depend on us. It wasn’t the intention, but the state of the problems we are seeing means there’s more demand. We’re seeing normal, working class people coming in, taxi drivers, people on zero-hours contracts, people living in hotels. The Big Red Night Bus, I’m sure will be full every weekend it will be operating.”