Local rough sleeper support charity ‘The Bus Shelter Dorset’ is celebrating a great start to the New Year, thanks to a 2019 sponsorship award of £1,000 from The Portland Harbour Authority.

The Bus Shelter, a converted double-decker bus donated to the project, has been up and running on its Lodmoor Beach car park site since the start of last year.

The charity offers a lifeline to referred rough sleeper guests with local connections. It provides a safe and warm place to stay, meets their basic needs, supports them to address issues and provides them with access to services with the long-term aim of helping them to make the move into more suitable accommodation.

Co-Founder and Project Manager Emily McCarron said: “Christmas and New Year can be a particularly difficult time for anyone sleeping on the streets, and it’s heart-warming to have this award from The Portland Harbour Authority to help us support our guests now and throughout the coming year.

“The day-to-day running of the Bus Shelter wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated team of volunteers and the many kind and caring local people and businesses who have given their practical support, donations of all kinds and meals for our guests. A special thank you to also to The Nook in Weymouth for a delicious Christmas lunch.

“For those concerned about local rough sleeping but unsure how to help, the Bus Shelter provides plenty of meaningful opportunities, and welcomes all kinds of support ranging from volunteering to donations.

“Regular monthly payments, however small, are particularly useful. There is also a ‘Sponsor a Bunk’ scheme, which offers a perfect way to make a positive difference.”

A spokesperson for Portland Port said: “We make charitable donations like this every year to a number of local charities.

“It is a nice charity obviously trying to help homeless people out but the idea of converting a double decker bus for this use we rather liked which is why we decided to donate to them.

“Hopefully it will inspire more people to seek them out and donate to them.”

To find out more about ‘The Bus Shelter Dorset’ (charity number 1171882), including volunteering opportunities and the ‘Sponsor a Bunk’ scheme, please visit www.facebook.com/thebusshelterdorset; or to make a donation, please go to www.justgiving.com/thebusshelterdorset