A mobile community engagement hub bus has been 'destroyed' just weeks before its crucial programme was set to begin.
The East Lothian founded bus was transformed by inmates from an Edinburgh prison to create a mobile community engagement hub to help transform the lives of vulnerable and disengaged people across East Lothian, Midlothian and Edinburgh.
Run by the charity Heavy Sound, it offered a music studio, a kitchen space, hairdressing unit, and an office space to help people learn key skills and offer support.
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However just after they secured a three-year project with East Lothian Council, a staff member found their bus, known as 'The Crib', 'destroyed' on Thursday (May 4). The side windows had been fully smashed, along with the windscreen, and wrapped seats were damaged. The music studio and kitchen had also been destroyed.
Subsequently due to the damage these life-changing plans have had to come to halt.
CEO and founder of Heavy Sound Jordan Butler said: "There was about £20,000 worth of modifications done to the bus, along with funding and community outreach projects and programmes - now all gone. It's had a huge knock-on effect."
Despite this, Jordan, 37, has stressed that he isn't angry at whoever did it. He is frustrated and disappointed but wants to take this chance to 'change the narrative' at why some people may take to vandalism. He added that the incident in fact highlights why the charity does the work they do.
The CEO said: "Historically we've had trouble getting somewhere to secure the bus, so it has been targetted before but never damaged like this. We're not actually sure when the vandalism took place or who did it. We had just secured the project with the council on Thursday and one of our staff members went to top up the water on the bus and found it completely destroyed to the point we think it may be written off because the damage is so significant.
"It is frustrating but it gives us the opportunity to change the narrative around why this might have happened and how we deal with it. Our ethos is centred around relations, trauma and person-centred. So we're not angry about this, the bus is for the community, it's a resource for everyone.
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"It highlights that there is an absolute lack of resources and community engagement and opportunity for young people which can lead to vandalism or other negatively perceived behaviours. We look at why certain behaviours might occur and instead of punishment and consequences, we look at development and support."
He added: "If we found out who did the damage, we'd be inclined to work and support them by making the bus available to them. I think being mindful and questioning why these things happen in the first place is key."
The 'Crib' was the result of a project which they ran with men and women who were residents of HMP Edinburgh prison. The project involved the inmates completely renovating the bus and they transformed it into a mobile community unit.
They were responsible for the complete re-design and refurbishment, from the sanding, buffing and painting of the bus, the electrical work and the design of the wrap that went on the outside.
Since sharing the incident on social media, Heavy Sound has been inundated with people from the community offering to help raise much-needed funds to bring back the bus.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 1.15pm on Thursday, May 4, 2023, we received a report of a vandalism to a bus which happened at Macmerry Business Park."
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