Community Transport: Could It Help You, Or Could You Help It?

Did you know, there are people across Gloucestershire volunteering to give people a lift if they don’t have access to transport? It’s called community transport and it’s there to help people in your community who would otherwise struggle to get where they need to go.

It can be easy to take transport for granted, especially if it’s all around you, but imagine if you didn’t have it. How would you visit loved ones, attend vital health appointments, or go shopping for food? This is the reality for many individuals and groups near you who are helped by community transport every day. 

Community Connexions is a local community transport charity that brings together volunteers to give transport to people of all ages who can’t easily access it, whether due to physical or mental reasons, or social or rural isolation. 

They helped passengers across Gloucestershire make over 95,000 trips last year. This included over 3000 trips to day centres and over 2000 trips for shopping. The transport they offer is fully accessible and all drivers and volunteers are trained in working with vulnerable people and people with mobility issues. Of the passenger trips last year, over 3500 were wheelchair users.

Trips with Community Connexions cost £1 per mile with a minimum of £5 spend, which goes towards volunteers’ fuel costs and running the charity. They also offer bus hire for groups. If Community Connexions could help you or someone you know, you can call them to register or for more information on 0345 680 5029, or visit their website at www.communityconnexions.org.uk

If you can still drive and have time to donate, then maybe you can help them! You can make a big difference to people’s lives by volunteering in community transport. By volunteering with Community Connexions you can take comfort knowing that you’re volunteering with a charity with over 30 years’ experience providing community transport. 

“I volunteer at Community Connexions because I recognise the difficulty many elderly and disabled people in the area have in visiting agencies which provide vital support. A few hours each week undertaking this fulfilling activity represents a small contribution to an improvement in the quality of life for people,” says Stuart, a volunteer with Community Connexions for 3 years. 

“I really enjoy driving but more importantly, I get a great deal of satisfaction from the appreciation of the passengers, many of whom would otherwise be housebound,” said Roger, a volunteer for 8 years.

If you would like to join the team of volunteers at Community Connexions, please e-mail the Volunteer Manager Elaine Pearson-Scott at elaine@communityconnexions.org.ukor call her on 01242 244635.