Community Transport
Mini Bus Schemes
This page provides information on mini bus
schemes in Bath & North East Somerset.
About the Group: Age Concern B&NES Ltd and
Age Concern Trading (B&NES) Ltd aims to identify and respond to
the needs of older people living in Bath & North East
Somerset. Their goal is to enable older people to maintain
and improve their quality of life, standard of living and dignity
providing services for older people according to need and break
down negative stereotypes often associated with older people.
Age Concern is dedicated to helping older people and their
carers gain access to respite care. Older, frail and disabled
people have benefited from social inclusion in community groups as
well as access to services such as Information & Advice
promoting well being for older people across Bath & North East
Somerset. Age Concern undertook 2,418 passenger journeys in
2006 to clubs and day centres and shopping centres. 64 older
people and their carers have gained access to respite care
There is also a ‘Home from Hospital’ service
available.
Contact details:
Age Concern, Bath &
North East Somerset, 18 Kingsmead Square, Bath, BA1 2AE
Tel: 01225 466135, Fax: 01225 464321
Email: age@concernbnes.freeserve.co.uk
About the Group: Bath Community Transport was
formed in 1986 to help meet transport needs. It is a registered
charity dedicated to providing a specialist minibus service
to a wide range of organisations within the Bath and
North East Somerset area.
Types of Journeys Catered for: Bath Community
Transport operate seven fully accessible minibuses which carry
up to twelve passengers or up to four wheelchairs, or a combination
of these. There are currently 110 user groups registered with
Bath Community Transport who completed 37,978 passenger journeys
last year
The service is available to recognised groups or businesses
whose primary aim is serving people whose lives are restricted
through age, infirmity, and mental or physical incapacity.
Driver Information: Volunteers are the backbone
of Bath Community Transport's service. Voluntary officers and
Management Committee work hard to maintain the high standards
already achieved by the service. There are 3 employees to manage
and deliver the service but volunteer drivers undertake the
majority of trips.
Booking and Contact Information:
If you would like to find out more about how to use the
service or how to become a volunteer please contact Bath Community
Transport on 01225 832317.
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About the Group: The group operates a minibus
service to take Lansdown residents shopping on two days a
week.
Types of Journeys Catered for: On Tuesday the
bus goes from Lansdown to Larkhall and on Fridays from Lansdown to
the city centre.
The group also run a Lunch Club each Thursday in the St
Stephen's Centre and provide transport in private cars for members
who would not be able to get to the club unaided.
The group are also able to provide a limited service for
Lansdown residents to take people for hospital visits etc.
Booking and Contact Information:
For further advice and information please contact David
Howard on 01225 332229.
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(Reg Charity No. 276166)
About the Group: The trust operates a 14 seater
minibus with a powered tail lift for groups, mainly consisting of
elderly, disabled and disadvantaged people.
Types of Journeys Catered for: 16 Organisations
currently served in and around the district include luncheon,
afternoon and over 50/60 clubs, as well as churches and youth
groups. Last year the scheme undertook 27,963 passenger
journeys.
Booking and Contact Information:
For further advice and information please
contact:
- the co-ordinator
- via post - 1 Withies Park, Midsomer Norton,
BA3 2NU.
- via telephone - 01761
413975
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About the Group:
St Philip & St James Community Minibus project was started
in October 1992 when it was given a Ford Transit minibus from
The Children's Society.
St Philip's Community Minibus is for voluntary groups or
charities that are unable to have access to other
minibuses.
It is run on a voluntary basis where users are not charged a
hire fee but simply pay for the fuel they use.
The bus' funding is reliant on fund-raising events and donations
to pay for road tax, MOT, insurance and repairs.
The minibus is administrated through the Church Office at St.
Philip and St. James' Church, Odd Down.
Types of Journeys Catered for:
The minibus is used by a wide range of groups both from the
church and the community. Most of the uses are for people who
don't have access to their own transport (30% youth, 35% older
people), whilst the rest is for charitable purposes.
Groups that use the bus must fit one of the following three
criteria
- a group which is part of St Philip's church
- member of St Philip's church driving for a group of friends and
acquaintances
- a community group - which must be from the Bath area (BA1, BA2,
BA3), voluntary aided, charitable or benevolent, and
non-political.
Groups that do not fit the above criteria but may want to use
the bus have to seek approval from the PCC of St Philip's church,
stating the aims and objectives of their group
Funding the minibus
It costs about £3,900 a year to insure, tax, MOT and repair the
minibus and cover depreciation.
If the group had to charge it would be £12 per usage plus 25p a
mile, but instead they rely on fundraising and donations.
It now costs between £60 and £90 a day to hire a commercial 15
seater minibus and then only if you can match their tight
restrictions.
Groups use the minibus irrespective of the amount they donate
but it would be helpful to raise or donate as much as they can to
support this community resource.
Any surplus in the minibus fund will be put aside to cover
depreciation and build up a fund to buy the next one.
Booking and Contact Information:
- Those wishing to use the minibus simply have to phone and book
with the church office which is open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
- They collect the keys from the office before use and return the
keys back there afterwards.
- The bus is overseen by the Church Administrator who, as a full
time church worker, runs the office and makes sure it is always
open and available to the public.
- The bus is also checked weekly by a volunteer to rectify any
faults or to report back to the administrator who then ensures it
is mended at an established garage.
- Donations towards the bus are kept in a separate fund which is
used to pay for insurance, road tax and repairs.
Contact:
Sarah Moxham has been appointed as the Minibus
Administrator and will be taking responsibility for the running the
project.
She can be contacted at the church office on 01225
835228 on Monday or Friday mornings if you need to talk to her
about minibus matters or email minibus@stphilipstjames.org
Further information is available by visiting their
website at www.stphilipstjames.org
and clicking the "community" tab along the top of their
page.
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