Elliott Heads Bowls Club has thrown its support behind the Bundaberg Sleepbus fundraiser, donating $200 to the initiative which will help those needing a safe space to sleep in the region.
Members raised the funds through the intake of their “wrong bias” tin, which is contributed to by bowlers who falter on the greens.
Vice president Steve McLellan said it was a fun way to make some money to support the region.
“When you play bowls you have a side that the bowl curls to and that is the side called the bias,” he said.
“Sometimes, when you are not paying attention, you send the bowl down the wrong side and it goes high, wide and handsome and disappears off into the distance.
“When that happens people let you know in a lighthearted way, we have a lot of fun.
“If someone does a wrong bias they have to ring the bell and put a dollar in the tin.”
Steve said two years of wrong bias collections had made up the $200 Bundaberg Sleepbus donation, an initiative members were more than happy to support.
“We think it is a wonderful concept for the town,” he said.
“It is normally something you see in the big cities and for us to get it here in Bundaberg, it's massive, it's really big.”
The Sleepbus fundraiser is an initiative of the Bundaberg Housing and Homelessness Forum, supported by Bundaberg Regional Council and other local businesses.
Currently, the bus is being built in Melbourne and will be transferred to Bundaberg in winter to provide a warm and safe space for the region's homeless each night.
The bus will be fitted out with sleep pods, each one containing a toilet, climate control, reading light, USB chargers and free-to-air digital television and support services channel.
Anyone seeking a safe bed for the night on the Sleepbus doesn’t need a referral or to book ahead, they just turn up between 8.30 pm and 10 pm.
Pets are also welcome in sleep pods with their owners.
Steve said the Elliott Heads Bowls Club was proud to support the Bundaberg Sleepbus.
“As a club, we really liked the idea and are all really impressed that Bundaberg is able to facilitate something like a Sleepbus,” he said.
“Homelessness is normally something you would associate with big cities but it is becoming more and more apparent that we have a problem here as well so we want to do what we can to help.”
Divisional representative Cr Tanya McLoughlin thanked members for their donations.
“It's fantastic to see the community getting behind such an important fundraiser,” she said.
“The money raised by the Elliott Heads Bowls Club will go towards keeping the bus operational when it reaches our region.
“Thank you to the club members for their generosity and support.”
Find out more about the Bundaberg Sleepbus here.
