The Bus Shelter MK has moved into its new long term home, George House, in Stantonbury.
The new site has been named after homeless Milton Keynes citizen George Weir who sadly died on the street in 2017.
Thanks to an agreement with Milton Keynes Council and The Parks Trust the charity is leasing what was a derelict landscaping depot and surrounding plot.
Extensive renovations have been undertaken and George House will provide a warm, friendly and supportive home for up to nine people at a time who need a helping hand to get their lives back on track.
With communal sleeping not allowed because of the pandemic, the charity’s iconic converted double decker bus has been retired. On the new site a bespoke sleeping pod has been created from a shipping container to provide guests with Covid compliant individual bedrooms.
The new accommodation also allows the charity to offer a more suitable service for women experiencing street homelessness.
Follow Total MK on Facebook: here and twitter here for breaking news in Milton Keynes
The street facing end of the new sleeping pod has a fitting tribute to the charities heritage with a bus graphic – complete with headlights which illuminate to light the driveway in the dark.
To date the Bus Shelter MK has helped more than 80 people who would otherwise have been sleeping on the streets and by the end of the decade we expect 350 people will have found a temporary home, friendship and support at the new site.
Mayor of Milton Keynes Andrew Geary cut the ribbon to open the new site.
“Since it was established The Bus Shelter MK has provided a tremendous service, providing rough sleepers in Milton Keynes with a safe place to stay and helping them to find a new home and re-establish independent lives," he said.
"Developing and creating this new long term base has been an incredible undertaking for a small charity and the staff and trustees should be very proud of what they have achieved with the new facilities.”
