SOS buses to operate in Colchester and Chelmsford tonight to help NYE revellers
They will operate at specified locations from 10 pm to 4 am on New Years Day
For anyone going out to celebrate New Year's Eve in Colchester and Chelmsford, a special SOS bus service is available should you be injured or feeling vulnerable.
Joni Thompson is from Open Road, a charity that operates the SOS bus. She says, "Our volunteers will be there to support people and make sure they have fun safely. If anything goes wrong, they need help to get home, they lose their friends, need medical attention or are feeling unsafe, we'll be there to support those individuals."
The bus will be stationed outside the Slug and Lettuce in Colchester and the McDonalds in the town centre, between 9.30-10 pm to 4 am the next day.
Ms Thompson stresses that the service is completely non-judgemental and available to anyone in need. " If you get separated from your friends or are feeling particularly vulnerable, come to the bus. It's a place of safety and no one will judge you.
"We'll make sure that you'll get somewhere safe, somewhere warm and ensure you get home safely. That's it at the end of the day, we don't want anybody to have a bad experience. We want people to enjoy themselves, have fun, but also do it as safely as possible."
They are also calling for volunteers to help run the service into the New Year. "We're always looking for more people to support the service. As a charity, we rely on our volunteers. There are amazing people and it be great if anybody out there you know you thinks 'Yeah, I'd like to have a look at that', Please do contact us", she adds.