Tiffers staff have handed out 70 food parcels to the needy in a fortnight, as the project adapts to a new problem.

The Bus Shelter project has moved its busses, Tiffers and Chey, and two vans, out of Freson lay-by into new premises by Bourne Bridge and immediately stepped up its support to the community.

Instead of dealing with rough sleepers, the staff and volunteers have been putting together food parcels for the needy and vulnerable on the peninsula and beyond.

Gareth Brenland, joint-founder of Ipswich's Bus Shelter project along with partner Sarah-Jane, revealed Tiffers had handed out a staggering 70 food parcels in just two weeks.

He believes that may not have been possible if they did not have these new premises, in the previous home to a car rental firm, behind the Premier Store near Bourne Bridge, on Wherstead Road.

"If it was not for this site then we would be struggling," admitted Gareth. "There is no way we could have helped the amount of people we have been able to help in the past two weeks where we have handed out 70 food parcels

"A lot of them are to working families who really just don't have the money right now. Also, the elderly and anyone else who needs them."

Tiffers, part of The Bus Shelter community interest company, first moved into Freston lay-by two years ago, after being converted in a Woolverstone garden, from an old Stephensons passenger bus, to a homeless shelter.

The search for a new home took much longer than anticipated and late last year outreach bus Chey joined Tiffers at Freston, before these new premises were leased.

Gareth explained there are two main reason for moving, one being financial and by moving, and essentially grounding the busses it saves the project more than £400 per month.

Secondly, with foodbanks in the region being broken into, it protects the stock and property as there is always someone securing the site.

"We were a bit exposed at Freston and this move is vital for those two reason, but I'm going to miss the layby," admitted Gareth. "A lot of people are going to miss us being there too.

"Moving is something we have always wanted to do and now it is a question of us having to, in order to ensure we can carry on doing what we need to do."

Government policy has instead councils remove rough sleepers as a matter of urgency due to the pandemic, which as meant a sharp fall in rough sleepers.

Gareth said: "The number of people on the streets is a lot lower now, although there are still some on there, simply because they do not want to be housed in any way. They may have mental health issues, they prefer the isolation factors like that.

"The majority are now in some sort of shelter, whether that is a hostel, bed and breakfast whatever."

The Bus Shelter project is waiting on planning permission to be able to house people on the new site, however, the logistical skills, experience and contacts have proved important in another way for project workers.

Gareth explained: "Instead of focusing on rough sleepers right now we are instead taking over with providing food parcels to the elderly that are self-isolating, families that are not working therefore struggling, so the need for our food bank and support has rocketed.

Gareth said: "We get a lot of referrals for food parcels. We have an estate agency that phones us when they have a tenant struggling, adult social care, and other oganisations, messages or call us.

"We are hoping this is just a temporary thing but we don't know. Hopefully once the Coronavirus settles down, life will get back to some sort of normality and it will be back to the bare minimum of three or four a week as before."

That doesn't mean Tiffers' has forgotten is original purpose and still goes out to help rough sleepers when needed.

Jay Hornsby, is a former rough sleeper whose life was turned around by the help he received by Tiffers. He now works with the project helping others, usually by going out in a van.

Gareth said: "We are still doing the outreach if we get call outs. Jay was out on Sunday evening to one in Felixstowe," said Gareth.

"We were approached by the local council there but the person didn't want to do anything so he is staying put. He is on his own, he keeps himself to himself. He is not a danger to himself, he is not a problem, he is not a beggar, he just prefers to keep himself to himself.

Like everyone else, the Bus Shelter CIC is desperate for the Covid-19 virus to be brought under control, but Gareth is convinced the homeless issue will return.

He said: "As for the rough sleepers, I believe that will just go back to how it was.

"There will always be relationship that break down, there will always be mental health issues and even though the council has duty of care right now to hose them, once this is all over it will just go back to how it was.

"People will be back out on the streets. There will be begging, drug issues, and life like that goes on.

"When that happens, we will be ready to roll. The busses will be taxed and insured to go back on the road."

Supermarkets have been supplying the project with food and other items, but Social distancing has meant the Tiffers' shops in Trimley, and eventually Wherstead Road, cannot be accessed and the project still needs funding to operate.

Gareth said: "We are still taking donations, here at this next site and the shop at Trimley and people can donate cash to me directly or the Just Giving page."

Email: [email protected] or donate to Bus Shelter Just Giving