Community Transport week took place from Monday 14th October to Friday 18th October 2024 and is funded to work in the local authority districts in Lincolnshire of South Holland, Boston Borough and East Lindsey alongside existing schemes and any potential new ones, to develop community transport availability and accessibility especially in some of the most rural areas.
Welcome to Community Transport week.
We are launching this week by explaining what community transport is and how to access it in your area.
So what is Community Transport?
Community led solutions which help where there is unmet local transport needs. Community transport is often the only means of transport accessible for many vulnerable and isolated people who are often older people or people with disabilities.
Community transport is key to helping people remain independent and continuing to participate in their communities and accessing vital services.
It could be a moped or a minibus but in our area it is likely to be a voluntary car scheme available.
Currently most of the local voluntary car schemes prioritise medical appointments, but we are hoping that with support and an increase in volunteers, all areas of our community will be have access to journeys for social wellbeing in the near future.
Community transport schemes do not replace the needs for taxis and often require booking up to a week in advance to ensure you can accommodated.
Follow this link to the our Directory table to see contact details for community transport that currently covers Lincolnshire. You may be asked to leave a message in the first instance; please do and someone will get back to you.
If you require any assistance locating your nearest community transport in any other parts of Lincolnshire then please send us an email and we will endeavour to sign post you.
Today we are going to take a closer look at some volunteer car schemes and the positive impact they have on the community around them.
First lets take a look at Sutton-on-Sea.
The Community Voluntary Car Service is a registered charity which has been operational in Sutton-on-Sea for over 20 years and is essential in supporting the local community to getting to medical appointments, especially with all hospitals being a considerable distance away with minimal public transport links.
Many of their regular clients are elderly with no means of transport and rely heavily on the service which is offered 7 days a week by a conscientious and compassionate team of volunteer drivers.
Some clients have been using the service for a long time and frequently acknowledge that they ‘can’t manage’ without them. One passenger recently said, ‘I know all the driver, who are so lovely and kind. They will always ensure that I get to the correct unit at any hospital that I need to go to.’
Two of their drivers Brian and Geoff, (pictured below) have been helping the community for a long time, knowing that they are making a difference and also both have a key role as trustees for the charity.
The service costs 60p per mile and has a minimum charge of £5.40
To book please call 01507 422502 between 9:00am and 1:00pm Monday to Friday.
Brian
Geoff
Now let’s take a look at the Wolds Community Minibus.
This minibus is available to community groups and local charities in Lincolnshire. The bus is based at Binbrook and is available on a self-drive basis to those groups who become affiliates of the bus and pay an annual fee.
Mileage is charged at £1.00 per mile which includes fuel. It can be taken on short local trips or could be taken further afield and used over night as required, however there is a £20.00 minimum charge.
It carries up to 15 passengers including a driver and can also take a wheelchair making it a valuable resource as a local community transport option.
Please be advised this is not available for private or commercial hire.
If you would like to enquire about using the bus please call Lindsay the coordinator on 01472 399207.
Let’s look at some passenger case studies by following this link to the section on the Community Transport page.
Today we look at what professionals in our community have to say about the benefits of community transport for the people they work with.
Jo Ireland, Spalding Community Connector
Since taking up the role as Community Connector a year ago, it is apparent that many people living in the more rural areas of South Holland are struggling with isolation due to the lack of workable transport options. This leaves people not able to go to social groups, not able to visit friends & family, struggling to attend appointments and unable to commit to various other engagements. (Whenever the transport conversation comes up many people groan as it causes such a headache to so many people. The simplest of trips can be made incredibly stressful for some and sometimes a bad experience can put some off going out altogether unfortunately.)
Virgina Richardson, South Lincolnshire Blind Society
Speaking on behalf of sight impaired and blind people I would like there to be more transport available for social and support groups. This would help to improve mental health and prevent medical intervention.
Accessibility to transport needs to be easy.
Yvonne Bentley, Volunteering and Befriending Co-ordinator, Age UK
We have recently conducted a client survey which, amongst many other questions, asked what factors prevented people from accessing social activities. Transport was the second most important factor, second only to physical health problems with 70% identifying this as a problem. The main limiting factor – physical health – is identified by 98% of participants, which I think underlines the importance of community transport for those with disabilities and chronic health problems. They are likely to be unable to access public transport and need that extra support.
As community transport week comes to a close we want to share our hopes for the future of community transport in Lincolnshire.
Our main priorities are:
If you have learned anything about community transport this week then we have achieved what we set out to do to raise awareness.
Maybe you will use a volunteer driver for a journey in the future you otherwise wouldn’t be able to take.
Or, a group you are part of can now access an affordable minibus to enhance the activities you can participate in.
Or, you might now be able to talk to someone who doesn’t know about community car schemes but for whom they will benefit from using them.
Thank you for following us this week and remember you can enquire about community transport schemes specific to your area by contacting us.
You can also get more information by following this link to our community transport page.
