The Salvos Street Teams introduced their new Rest and Recovery Marquee for the first time late February. Set up on the Hobart waterfront, the marquee and the team who works inside, aim to alleviate the demand on emergency services by providing a free space for people who are mildly intoxicated, and don’t require medical attention.

The new marquee is an expansion on the existing Street Teams coffee cart which currently runs on a Friday and Saturday evening. Street Teams are well known for the support they provide in Hobart’s Salamanca district, giving out ChupaChup lollipops along with small water bottles, vomit bags, emergency footwear and hot drinks. The team of volunteers work alongside onsite security, police, paramedics, and the City of Hobart to offer a multi-faceted approach to public safety by de-escalating conflicts, providing first aid, and offering a space for rest. Street Teams program manager Anita Reeve gave us the inside story on the new project.

What is the new Rest and Recovery Marquee?

The Rest and Recovery Marquee will give our teams the ability to take patrons/members of the public to a quiet space when they are intoxicated, but not needing medical intervention/attention. It’s an opportunity to provide a stretcher to rest on, a place to have some water to be rehydrated, and a place to be safe. Often we come across people sitting on the pavement, mostly with friends, but it allows that dignity whilst someone recovers enough to make their way home safely.

How does this fit with the wider Street Teams program?

The Street Teams provide support and assistance to vulnerable people who may be at risk of harm or causing harm to others due to alcohol misuse and/or other drug use. Some of the ways we do this is by providing a positive presence, free drinking water, and basic hygiene assistance including vomit bags.

While on a night out, how can mates best support each other?

Mates can support each other by sticking together, making sure that they watch out for each other in regard to what they drink and how much they drink. We encourage them to always have a designated driver, or if that is not possible, that they go home safely via a taxi or Uber. We often engage in these types of conversations, however we do find the vast majority of people care for each other.

What else do you have in the works?

We currently have a big focus on recruitment of volunteers for our team, as during COVID the ability to recruit was severely impacted, and is only just now starting to turn. We also want to see if we can make linkages with training facilities like TasTAFE Community Services, and Paramedics training schools to try and source students for our teams.