Can you help? Transport volunteers wanted.
The hunt is on for community stars to help some of the most vulnerable people in their area. 
A Grampian wide volunteer recruitment drive is being launched to find generous people to help support community transport operators across the region.
Volunteers are needed to help people to get to and from vital appointments such as health and social care.
Recruiting people with the passion and time to volunteer for a cause is a constant struggle for many organisations and the recruitment drive hopes to assist that process.
Volunteer roles can range from driving minibuses, using their own cars to transport people (for which they will receive a mileage rate) or acting as escorts to help passengers in and out of vehicles, providing support during the journey.
Volunteers can gain a huge amount of satisfaction from contributing their time and efforts;
Chris Rowe, who started volunteering 2 years ago said “I get satisfaction knowing that I help others to get to their appointments, shopping or visiting friends”.
Madge Forsyth has been volunteering for 14 years: “The smile on people’s faces when I pick them up to take them to their appointments is all the reward I need”.
As well as helping recruit more volunteers, the aim of the project is to establish and build relationships with partners across the health, social care and transport sectors. These relationships are essential in delivering the objectives of the Health and Transport Action Plan (HTAP), designed to improve partnership working across a range of transport and health related issues with access to services being a key issue.
HTAP Programme Manager, Andrew Stewart, said “The recruitment drive is one example of how partner organisations can support each other in achieving improved access for residents.”
Anyone interested in finding out more about volunteering opportunities should contact the Transport to Health Information Centre (THInC) on (01224) 665568. THInC can also provide information on how to get to health and social care appointments by public transport.
For more information on the recruitment drive, please contact Andrew Stewart, HTAP Programme Manager on 01224 664092 or by emailing mailto:andrew.stewart@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
K&M Communities 