In March 2022, the Bus Shelter MK passed a major milestone, with its 100th guest.
Many Milton Keynes residents will recall the sight of a converted double decker bus parked inside intu MK at the start of a fundraising campaign in 2017 to address street homelessness.
Less than 12 months later, that bus opened its doors on a temporary site in Campbell Park. Following over two years of successful operation at a short term site in Campbell Park, and a temporary move in 2020 to the YHA in Bradwell due to Covid, The Bus Shelter MK charity moved into its long term home in 2021 - a brand new homeless shelter in Stantonbury, Milton Keynes.
The well-loved local charity The Bus Shelter MK has now announced that it has reached a huge milestone, with its 100th guest.
The charity also provides support to help its guests find work and settle into a new home. One former guest said about his experience on the bus, “I can sleep, I can eat, I can wash my clothes. I feel like a human being again”.
A spokesperson the The Bus Shelter MK said: "It seems incredible that from that first day of opening, when we were all quite afraid that our idea perhaps wouldn't work, we have been able to help so many people.
"The compassion and resourcefulness of our team and volunteers never ceases to amaze as we help our guests through the most difficult of times. On average a guest will stay with us for three or four months and for the majority we are able to see them move into somewhere they can call home where they have every chance of sustaining their tenancy and their new life.
"The move to independent living is a huge step, so the team continues to offer support once a guest has moved on; this might be the odd food parcel, advice about bills, help with health and well being, or just a bit of company from time to time."
As well as the 100 guests who have actually stayed with The Bus Shelter MK, several hundred more have been advised or supported and where possible signposted to other services - the scale of these enquiries show that there is still a great deal needed to help people experiencing or worrying about homelessness.
"None of this would have been possible without the support of the Milton Keynes community and local and national businesses that have given us huge levels of support," A spokesperson wrote: "There are too many to mention but we thank everyone; from the little girl who emptied the pocket money from her purse into our collecting bucket at Intu, to the unexpected phone call from a telecoms company telling us they were making a substantial donation ... they all made such a difference and their support kept us going on the difficult days."
You can find out more or donate to The Bus Shelter MK here.
