What is Binky the Sensory Bus?

The first, and as far as we know the only, double decker sensory bus in Scotland, if not in the whole of the UK, offering a unique and specialised mobile sensory environment by a trained team!

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Binky was donated to us by our partners at Stagecoach in 2021, who stripped it out, wrapped it in the design chosen by our children, and who continually maintain and support us with all things fuel, maintenance, storage and logistics. A huge thank you to Stagecoach for their unwavering and continuous support!

Internally, Binky was fitted out by SpaceKraft throughout April and May 2023, funded by a number of funders and a very kind donation from Serica Energy. It took us 2 years to raise the funds needed to kit Binky out internally with all its sensory equipment, but we got there!

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As an extension of our vital & highly sought after outreach support service, Binky the Sensory Bus will help us reach further into Aberdeenshire, and eventually Moray and soon Highlands, more than we ever have been able to before.

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What Services are offered on Binky the Sensory Bus?

 In partnership with SensationALL, and partly funded by Aberdeenshire Council (2 days per week) through the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund (WFWF) since April 2024, we offer free sensory support on Binky the Sensory Bus to autistic and neurodivergent children and young people and their families, some with additional support needs, aged between 4 and 18 years old in the areas of Peterhead and Fraserbrugh 2 days per week, from 10.30am to 3pm, during school term time. Within 48 hours of opening referrals for this project (week of 5th August 2024), we received over 60 enquiries and all sessions for the first 2 months booked.  

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As of 16th August 2024, we opened referrals for our afterschool outreach support on Binky from 3.30pm to 8pm, in these areas on the same days (Wednesdays and Thursdays).  This service is not included in the WFWF, and can be referred and arranged separately through our Outreach Service, requiring funding through Self Directed Support (SDS), or self funded. Our afterschool outreach support can be provided from 2 hour sessions, up to 4.5 hour sessions by one of our Neurodiversity Support Workers on Binky and using our partner facilities in Peterhead and Fraserburgh, and does not require parents or carers to stay. 

We expect demand to be high for our after school hours outreach service, and if we develop a waiting list, will look to extend this service into an extra day per week by the end of 2024. 

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