Volunteer driver service saved by three people who have overseen the project
01/04/2025
The service has been providing around 1,000 journeys to appointments each month
Ahead of its planned closure on Friday, three of the people who have been running a patient transport service in Banbury have stepped in to save the scheme.
The Volunteer Driver Service was created in 2012 as a project of Citizens Advice West Northamptonshire and Cherwell, but as they refocus their work a decision has been made that they will no longer be able to operate the scheme.
Three of the team who have been overseeing the service have now set up a Community Interest Company with the aim of keeping the service going.
Its anticipated the new organisation will be up-and-running by the end of April, with the weeks until then spent setting up agreements with drivers, insurances and new working arrangements.
The Volunteer Driver Service uses volunteers in their own cars to take people to appointments, when there is no reasonable alternative transport available. The current service has 190 drivers signed-up, with 150 active each month, completing around 1,000 journeys.
As the new community interest company will operate as a smaller body it is hoped it will be able to attract more mid-range grants, which aren’t available to a larger organisation such as Citizens Advice West Northamptonshire and Cherwell.
Keith Davies is one of the directors of the new venture. He is providing £10,000 of the initial funding and hopes other people will also support the project.
Mr Davies said: “We’ve got a fund-raiser on at the moment. Any donations, however big or small, they’re all very welcome. That will help us towards start-up and getting this up and running as soon as we possibly can.
“The value that the community gets through the Volunteer Driver Service is absolutely incredible. Some of the messages we’ve had so far – and the support – really brings it across. We’re doing it for that reason; we’re doing it because it is such a valued thing in our community.”
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
