VOLUNTEERS have been left dismayed after learning the Southend SOS bus will not be returning to the town centre.

Southend Council has opted not to continue funding the helper bus in the centre of the town every night following a trial run over the summer.

The SOS Bus was run by the Southend YMCA for years and existed to help people in the high street overnight, often after they had been out on the town.

However, the service was cut in 2017, but the bus still attends events throughout the borough every year.

The bus was a safe haven for vulnerable people of all ages when their wellbeing is threatened by not being able to get home, illness and substance misuse.

This year the council allocated a small grant to YMCA to deliver ten nights of assistance over the summer but, after a review, it found there were significantly fewer people going into the town centre each night.

Sophie Cochrane, who volunteered on the bus for several years, was devastated at the news. In an emotional post on Facebook, she said: “I owe the bus so much. Without it I would not be the person I am today.

“The SOS bus over the years has helped thousands. There is no other organisation is the area who do what we do. We are the people who hold your daughter’s hair back as she pukes.

“We are the people who get your son safely home because all his mates have let him. We are the listening ear, the warm comfort, the non-judgemental.

“We are full flops for sore feet, we are the plaster for your blisters we are the bandage for your injuries. We are so much more.

“I will not sit and let this priceless service disappear. I will do everything I can prove the bus worth funding.” The SOS Bus is still operating in Basildon with funds from the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Syrie Cox, chief executive of the charity, said: “It’s really touching to see the stories of the volunteers on how the bus has impacted their lives.

“In order for it to move forward and to cover the centre of the town, we would need funds from several different parties to total between £40,000 and £50,000.

“While that sounds like a lot, we have to get insurance for the bus and the staff, the training for the medical teams. It does all add up.

“We provide a great many services around Southend which we are very proud of, and we’re proud of what the bus has achieved, but it can’t carry on without financial support.

Cllr Trevor Harp, cabinet member for health and adult social care, said: “We and our partners will continue to monitor changes in the night-time economy in Southend and keep the matter under review. If it is felt that a similar service... is needed, then we will re-examine our options of how to provide this in the best way.”