A big blue bus offering accommodation for rough sleepers is moving to a new home - and welcoming new sleeping pods.
The Bus Shelter Dorset is moving from the Beach Car Park on Weymouth seafront, where it has been based since 2018, to an unused section of the Weymouth park and ride.
The new site will have 12 sleeping pods - individual sleeping units with a mini bathroom and the bus will now be used for meeting and support instead of sleeping.
The move has been made possible through a collaboration with Dorset Council, including leasing the land and securing funding.
A clean-up operation has been under way preparing for the move and volunteer Mark and guests Steve and Lee have also been busy with reclaiming materials that can be used on the bus allotment, to help grow vegetables for guests.
Rosey Stone, trustee chairman, said: "We are so pleased to be moving our project forwards and enabling our guests to have a better standard of living within our 'bus family'. We have benefited from a close partnership with Dorset Council and many other local people who have supported us in hundreds of ways."
The sleeping pods have been constructed by Newspace Containers Ltd in Bristol and will arrive in Weymouth this week.
Much effort has been put into preparation to receive the pods and having the appropriate services in place ready to hook them up.
The Bus Shelter Dorset has been thrilled to welcome Ethan from Texas, USA, who is visiting family in Weymouth, and offered some support to Richie, who has been casting concrete into suitable pads to stand the sleeping pods on.
The new accommodation layout will include a communal area and kitchen, to create the 'bus family' feel that rough sleepers benefit from.
A colour scheme has been chosen to match the much-loved bus.
The converted double decker bus has provided a home for local rough sleepers and served as a stepping stone into accommodation and employment, with ongoing support. For years now, the bus project has benefited from local people giving time, effort, food and supplies to enable guests to be successful. During the Covid pandemic guests had to live elsewhere where there is running water and less communal living.
The Bus Shelter Dorset is always looking for help and support of all kinds via its Facebook page The Bus Shelter Dorset or by emailing thebusshelterdorset@gmail.com
The charity has a Just Giving page for those who wish to donate a one off or a regular sum.
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