As part of efforts to ensure no-one is left out in the cold, Crawley Borough Council is offering local rough sleepers a unique, safe and warm place to sleep thanks to local charities Crawley Open House and The Danny Gallivan Trust.
Danny the Bus is a double decker bus that offers separate sleeping pods for both men (8 spaces) and women (4 spaces), alongside a kitchen and seating area. Originally converted to be used for ex service personnel, it has been offered by The Danny Gallivan Trust to help support local rough sleepers to provide additional shelter over the winter period.
Refurbished by Crawley Men in Sheds project over the course of 2018, Danny will be available until the 31 March and will be operated by Crawley Open House during periods of extreme cold weather.
Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Michael Jones, said: “This is a fantastic addition to our extreme weather provision and we are extremely pleased to be working with two fantastic local charities Crawley Open House and The Danny Gallivan Trust.
“Here at the council, we work hard to provide rough sleepers with accommodation, while helping them to move off the streets and towards a better future and the work that Crawley Open House and The Danny Gallivan Trust do to help those sleeping rough, is integral to making that happen.
“I was delighted to be able to visit Danny and thank the staff and volunteers that have helped make this happen.”
Steve Swain, Chairman of The Danny Gallivan Trust, said: “Everyone at The Danny Gallivan Trust is pleased to be working with Crawley Open House and Crawley Borough Council the loan of our Bus.
“Danny will increase available temporary accommodation for homeless folk during this very cold time of year. The refurbishment of Danny has only been made possible due to a number of amazing people and it will be gratifying to all those involved to know that Danny is fully utilised as a warm and safe haven for our local street community, some of whom could be former service personnel who have fought for our country.”
Director of Crawley Open House, Charlie Arratoon, said: “Crawley Open House is delighted to be working in partnership with CBC and The Danny Gallivan Trust to provide cold weather provision in addition to the permanent services we provide.
“We are committed to assisting people off of the streets and into accommodation all year round but the winter months are particularly challenging and having a fixed solution when needed makes helping people in the greatest need more possible.”
Cold weather provision can be accessed through Crawley Open House during day centre hours, between 10am and 2pm or by calling 01293 447702.
For more information about the Danny Gallivan Trust, visit www.dgtrust.org.uk or to find out more about Crawley Open House, visit www.crawleyopenhouse.co.uk
