Soup bus ready to roll

Jan 1 2010 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

AYR’S first soup van is ready to roll.

And it’s all aboard as big-hearted Suzanne Holden gets the wheels in motion for her venture.

The 28-year-old Prestwick woman has begged and borrowed her way to helping the homeless.

Already it looks like there’ll be a big demand for her wee red bus.

Suzanne said: “I’ve been involved with homeless ministries for about three years and was able to see the effect it had.

“I’ve felt burdened about this work and it’s been a dream of mine to start a soup van since then.

“I started seriously thinking about it in the summer and wrote to a lot of people for help.

“Brian Souter, the Stagecoach manager, very kindly gave me a 25-seater Mercedes bus, and Stagecoach are putting me through my PSV licence.

“The bus has been completely renovated and is ready to go.”

Suzanne has been overwhelmed with the support shown to her by local churches and their surrounding communities.

She continued: “I’m really excited and I can’t quite believe it’s all finally happening. As well as the bus I was given an anonymous gift of £1000.

“And Lloyd Kitchens in Kilmarnock donated and fitted a kitchen for the bus.

“Lots of people have been offering to provide ingredients and rolls for the soup and I have more volunteers than I needed. It’s very heartening to see how everyone has pulled together.”

Suzanne, who works as an oral health promoter for the NHS, hopes that the bus will be well received.

She said: “The bus is about being practical.

“Homeless people get a meal on a Monday at Ayr Baptist Church and at Riverside Church on a Tuesday and Wednesday. Then there’s a gap from Thursday, Friday and Saturday until a meal is provided at the Holy Trinity Church on a Sunday.

“There are quite a lot of homeless people in South Ayrshire, but many of the people who will use the bus won’t necessarily be completely homeless, they may be living in a hostel or homeless accomodation.”

The soup bus provides soup, rolls, tea, coffee, biscuits, and somewhere warm and comfortable to go for a chat.

It will roll up at the Viewfield Gate Hostel in Newton every Thursday from January 16, from 7.30pm until 9.30pm.

For more information, or to support Suzanne’s venture, log on to www.wheels-in-motion.org.uk or contact her on 0780 947 0263.

Suzanne is also holding an open day on January 9 at New Prestwick Baptist Church from noon until 4pm.