The story of our latest special guest at Carrow Road
CITY will be delighted to welcome Shelley Meekins from the SOS Bus as the Kare Plus Community Hero for Tuesday's game against Newcastle United.
The SOS Bus was launched in 2001, and provides a safe haven for anyone in Norwich’s club-land at night-time. The Bus, and those who run it, provides support to lost, distressed, injured or vulnerable people, and has helped over 10,000 clubbers in Norwich since 2001.
Run as a multi-agency initiative, it is led by the Open Youth Trust and works closely with Norfolk Constabulary and St. John’s Ambulance as well as Community First Responders and Norfolk CCGs (Clinical Commissioning Groups).
The Ambulance service provides a paramedic, which has helped the unit to prevent over 1,200 admissions to A&E, at peak times, since 2008. This impact has seen the SOS Bus initiative receive recognition such as the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and the City of Norwich Civic Award for Voluntary Services.
Representing the SOS Bus as the Kare Plus Community Hero will be Shelley, who has volunteered as a shift support worker since 2004.
"We are there in crisis and we are there to talk - helping injured, drunk and vulnerable people to the best of our ability," she says. "We charge phones, offer a place of safety, call parents and friends, and for a small donation we even have flip flops!"
On Tuesday, armed with over 30 volunteers, the SOS Bus will be holding a ground collection at Carrow Road prior to kick-off in order to raise funds to continue this vital service within our community.
So please give a big Carrow Road welcome to the SOS Bus as Shelley brings out the match ball ahead of kick-off.
The SOS Bus was launched in 2001, and provides a safe haven for anyone in Norwich’s club-land at night-time. The Bus, and those who run it, provides support to lost, distressed, injured or vulnerable people, and has helped over 10,000 clubbers in Norwich since 2001.
Run as a multi-agency initiative, it is led by the Open Youth Trust and works closely with Norfolk Constabulary and St. John’s Ambulance as well as Community First Responders and Norfolk CCGs (Clinical Commissioning Groups).
The Ambulance service provides a paramedic, which has helped the unit to prevent over 1,200 admissions to A&E, at peak times, since 2008. This impact has seen the SOS Bus initiative receive recognition such as the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and the City of Norwich Civic Award for Voluntary Services.
Representing the SOS Bus as the Kare Plus Community Hero will be Shelley, who has volunteered as a shift support worker since 2004.
"We are there in crisis and we are there to talk - helping injured, drunk and vulnerable people to the best of our ability," she says. "We charge phones, offer a place of safety, call parents and friends, and for a small donation we even have flip flops!"
On Tuesday, armed with over 30 volunteers, the SOS Bus will be holding a ground collection at Carrow Road prior to kick-off in order to raise funds to continue this vital service within our community.
So please give a big Carrow Road welcome to the SOS Bus as Shelley brings out the match ball ahead of kick-off.
At every Sky Bet Championship home match, the Canaries will invite a deserving community-minded individual or individuals to be their KarePlus Community Hero and place the matchball on a special plinth prior to kick-off.
Whether the individual works in the emergency services or the armed forces, is a carer or charity champion, a super fan or a regional sporting hero, the initiative celebrates their contribution to the local community.