Help Bring Nottingham’s Safe Bus to Life

It’s in Nottingham has launched a crowdfunding campaign to refurbish a donated bus into a fully equipped Safe Bus - a mobile hub offering first aid, welfare support, and a safe place for people in need during busy nights out.

A lifeline for Nottingham’s night-time economy

Every weekend, thousands of people visit Nottingham's restaurants and venues, making the city centre one of the busiest in the East Midlands. However, that vibrancy can also bring challenges. Nottinghamshire Police, Nottingham Street Pastors, and welfare teams often encounter people who are lost, injured, or vulnerable - situations that don’t always require hospital treatment but can still lead to unnecessary ambulance callouts or A&E visits.

The Safe Bus will change that - once fully refurbished, it will be stationed in Old Market Square on busy nights, staffed by trained welfare officers, first aid providers, and volunteers. It will provide a calm, well-equipped space for anyone needing assistance, while helping to ease pressure on local emergency services.

A bus with a new purpose

The idea took a major step forward earlier this year when Nottingham City Transport generously donated a decommissioned bus to the project. The next stage is to raise the funds needed to refit the interior with medical equipment, comfortable seating, charging points, heating, and full accessibility.

During the day, the Safe Bus will also support community and health initiatives, working with local partners such as the NHS, universities, and voluntary organisations to deliver outreach and wellbeing campaigns across the city.

Proven success elsewhere

Similar initiatives in cities like Cardiff and Plymouth have demonstrated that Safe Buses can reduce ambulance callouts, lower crime rates, and enhance public confidence in city centre safety.

A short pilot with St John Ambulance in Nottingham over Christmas 2024 demonstrated the potential impact:

• 102 people were supported in just seven nights
• 73 cases were managed on-site without hospital visits
• An estimated £30,000–£50,000 in NHS costs were saved

If operated year-round, the Safe Bus could help save between £1.6 million and £2.7 million annually by reducing emergency demand.

A partnership for Nottingham

The project is being led by It’s in Nottingham with the support of:

• Nottingham City Council – providing a city centre base for the bus
• Nottingham City Transport – donating the vehicle
• trentbarton – assisting with servicing, MOTs, and training
• Nottingham Street Pastors – providing on-board welfare support

Together, these organisations are building a shared resource that will benefit everyone who lives, works, studies, or visits Nottingham.

How to help

The community is now being asked to help raise the remaining funds needed to bring the Safe Bus to life.

Every donation will go directly towards transforming the bus into a safe, comfortable, and sustainable space - including fitting solar panels, installing a treatment area, and ensuring full accessibility.

“This project is all about Nottingham looking after its own,” said Rich Lane, Head of Operations and Business Crime at It’s in Nottingham.“We’ve got the bus, the partners, and the plan. Now we just need the community’s help to make it a reality. Every pound donated brings us closer to creating a resource that could make a real difference to people’s safety and wellbeing.”

To find out more or donate to the Safe Bus project, visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/nottinghamsafebus