Our YesBus Vision
We’ve got big plans for this vehicle, and once we achieve them we know that the bus will have big plans for everyone who jumps on board.
You might be thinking, why a bus?!
SayYesMore promotes thinking out of the box, and we like taking an idea, a space or a system that we think is normal, then creating something new from it.
We’re all familiar with double decker buses, but when they’re filled with passengers and trundling along city streets, so imagine if you saw a bus in the countryside, wrapped in a hi-resolution image of inviting, green British woodland.
You step inside and it instantly feels like a forest cabin. In the most perfect places there are messages, reminding you that you’re amazing and that if you want to learn how to be a superhero, well, you’re in the right place.
There’s a well-fitted kitchen, because the most magical chats happen around food. And yes, there’s coffee. Lots of coffee.
And hold on, although this obviously was…is a bus, this is….wow!
There’s a woodburner at the bottom of the stairs and bookshelves and a fold-down screen and a seating area with cushions so big you just want to jump up and have a snooze. But before you get carried away, you realise that the floor between the cushions pulls right up to become a table, and therefore becomes the perfect spot for a team meeting, or a group dinner.
This…is…amazing. That’s what we want you to be thinking, all the time.
On the way up the stairs there’s a big cork wall covered in ideas, challenges and adventurous pictures which just make you want to go and climb a mountain, or do something a little different.
A bookcase rests where once upon a time there was a big board of boring fibreglass whose only goal was to stop people falling to the deck below. The books that have replaced it are, without fail, full of words that will inspire. If only you had a really comfortable place to recline and rediscover your inner book worm….
And then, you reach the top deck. You won’t have even seen the cupboard behind you as you climbed the stairs, it’s filled with camping gear and every sleeping bag, mat and tent in there is waiting for you to use it.
What the…?! There is so much space in a double decker bus when you take the seats out! The great thing is, assuming you’re going to walk up these stairs on three separate occassions, you’ll realise that nothing on this bus stays the same.
It so happens that this first time the upper deck is in relaxation mode. There’s a big U-Shaped sofa at the far end, which is like a corner sofa but better. Two hammocks swing diagonally across the middle section of the bus and one of those, you decide, has your name on it.
A comfy looking bench in front of the big front window is currently home to two friends who grin at you and say hi before going back to their chat with a (n incredible) view over rolling countryside.
If you’d arrived earlier, the YesBus would have been in work mode. Space-saving desks, which in sleep or relaxation mode fold down against the walls, are now along the sides of the upper deck, each one with its own window view over the countryside, each one with its own mains plug with built-in USB charger. You notice the tops of the desks can double up as blackboards for when they’re folded down. Whether you want to work with a friend, write a book, get YouTube to teach you a new skill or simply catch up on your emails, this is the ultimate office.
Full-strength wifi throughout, directional lighting for winter days and late-night working sessions, the smell of coffee complementing the low-key tunes humming from the bluetooth surround sound system.
And, you’re told later, when the bus goes on tour to festivals and schools, that U-Shaped sofa at the end turns into a bed, and all the comfy coworking seats and benches tesselate into more bunks. There isn’t a thing in here that does, well…just one thing!
As with everything impressive, there is so much that happens under the surface. We’re designing a fully comprehensive renewable energy system, ensuring that the bus can operate as well off grid as it does when connected to the mains. We’re even looking into a partnership with a company who designs an exercise bike-at-a-desk that can be pedalled while you work, thus charging up your laptop or even the YesBus batteries, adding another element of fitness to our project-long vow to have a climbing wall on the side of the bus.
So, this is our dream, our vision. This incredible bus, where we can read, sleep, work, hold meetings and presentations, host cinema nights (did we mention there’s going to be a cinema screen on the side of the bus for films and presentations?), BBQs, fundraisers, school visits and so much more.
Whether on site at its countryside home or on the move touring around the UK, the YesBus is being designed as a community hub, a place for escape, teaching and learning. An exciting, unique space that will be on the mind of anyone who has visited it, a little thought always asking, hey, when are we going back to the YesBus?!
We’re an organisation that can take a group of ten strangers out to the top of a hill and spark ideas that will actively change their lives and direction for the better. With the YesBus (and eventually other spaces equally as unique) our ability to create more ripples increases.
There’s something powerful about a place that inspires change and a mindset that encourages it. We’re combining both with this project and we want to work with people who love our vision at the same time as believing in our ability to turn it to reality.
What we need help with
We’re at the stage where we need to pull together all the design elements to create a truly unique space.
We are searching for companies who excel at what they do and where possible are ethical, low impact and forward thinking. At the same time, we’re seeking consultations and assistance with design and fitting plans, along with part or full sponsorship of the various systems. We would like to create long lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships with organisations geared up to make a difference.
We’ll also be searching for companies who can fully or part-sponsor some of our systems, in return for being involved with a great case study, and ongoing promotion and connection to the YesBus and YesTribe.
We believe the potential of the YesBus is huge, without doubt it's one of the most far-reaching and creative projects we've ever been involved in. We hope this sparks your interest.
If getting involved with the YesBus sounds like it's right up your street, please get in touch with Chris, Dave and the team via yesbus@sayyesmore.com
