Sleep bus debuts at SpringFest as committee prepares for launch

THE latest addition to emergency services for the homeless and others in need, the Ballarat Snoooze Bus, has made its first public appearance.

The bus made its debut in the Lake Wendouree gardens precinct at last Sunday’s SpringFest, and if all goes to plan, it will officially be offering emergency overnight accommodation before winter next year.

The 12-metre, 54-seat-capacity bus, donated by Ventura Bus Lines, has been converted to offer up to nine secure and climate-controlled individual sleeping pods that can accommodate two people, each with a portable toilet and a lockable door.

Organising committee vice-president Mary Hollick, who was at the showcase last weekend, said several sites were being considered for the bus to operate from.

Ms Hollick, who represents the Ballarat Central Uniting Church, said it would be in the central city area.

“We’re looking for proximity where people could walk from The SoupBus,” she said.

“We’ve got the trifecta now – shower, soup and sleep,” Ms Hollick said, referring to Ballarat’s soup and shower bus services.

“We’ll certainly reinforce each other.”

 

The committee’s secretary, Alan Barham of the Rotary Club of Ballarat West, said one of the sites under consideration would act as the vehicle’s permanent base.

The Catholic Diocese of Ballarat, Mr Barham’s Rotary club, Ms Hollick’s church, individual Rotarians and others are all involved in the organising committee.

Its president, Ross Wheatland, represents the diocese. The position of treasurer is still to be filled.

Two past participants of the Committee for Ballarat’s Future Shapers program, who were instrumental in getting the bus project off the ground, remain involved.

The organising committee is now putting the final administrative details in place, including the bus’s registration as a charity.

It is also looking for volunteers including a caretaker, a service worker, housekeeping, and an actual driver.

The bus was originally being prepared by Simon Rowe, the founder of Sleepbus.org, a charity that converted and supplied buses for emergency accommodation use.

Preparation of Ballarat’s bus was underway when Mr Rowe shut down the charity at the end of the last financial year, leading to doubts that it would actually materialise.

But the committee and others took up the challenge and have guided it to completion.

 

“I think it’s a testament to the committee that we have hung in there to get this to Ballarat,” Ms Hollick said.

“It’s been a very long haul – two years-plus – and we know that the need is urgent.

“The homeless will always be with us, they’re not going away, and we’re all a pay cheque or an illness away from needing this.

“So it’s a great relief to have it for Ballarat and being run by the community for Ballarat people.”

Mr Barham said the bus attracted a lot of interest at SpringFest, with many people taking away brochures to distribute and some leaving their names as possible volunteers.

One woman even offered to make custom fitted sheets for the pod mattresses, he said.

Mr Barham said an official Facebook page would be set up for the Snoooze Bus.

“We couldn’t use sleep bus because that was the name of Simon Rowe’s original thing,” he said. The third O is to avoid any trademark conflicts with the bedding company.

Anyone interested in contributing to the bus or being involved as a volunteer can email Mr Barham at [email protected].