From left, God Bus trustee Gordon Holmes, Romahome’s Jordan Taylor, Mick Hunter, Romahome’s Lee Wilkins, Prices Garage’s Matthew Price, God Bus secretary Heather Woodford and God Bus trustee Andy Yorke.
A NEW God Bus has hit the road in a demonstration of the Island’s christian community working together in an act of combined faith.
Individuals, churches and companies rallied to support the appeal to replace the rusting old vehicle with a new Mercedes Vario.
The God Bus is a late-night meeting place taken around the Island in which people in need of a chat or a cuppa can meet and where the message is spread that God can help damaged lives.
There are still plans to extend the bus’s late night route to nights in Ryde but organisers say to fund that and the rest of the rising running costs it is vital the funding appeal remains open.
As part of that funding drive to keep the Mercedes on the road the new vehicle is being shown off this weekend.
One of the multi-denominational team of 13 who provide the service, Mick Hunter, said: "If anyone would like to look around the new vehicle we will be at Regent Street, Shanklin, between St Paul’s and the Methodist Church tomorrow (Saturday), from 10am to11am then at 11.45am outside the Memorial Hall, Freshwater, until about 1pm.
"On Sunday we’ll be at Downside Middle School, Newport, from 10am to 10.30am then on at Garfield Road Methodist Church from11am to 11.30am.
"We want to show off what has been achieved and very much hope people will continue to be so generous in their support of the work we do," said Mr Hunter.
"We would like to thank Brian Bailey of Romahome and the lads for the excellent work they did, Steve Furhmann for the images, Ian Wheeler for the spraying and body work and Matthew Price of Price’s Garage for the paint and his kind offer to valet the vehicle on a regular basis."
The new Mercedes comes equipped with comfortable seating areas, full kitchen facilities, sound and heating systems.
Reporter: richardw@iwcpmail.co.uk