Dear Editor,

Chew Valley Community Transport scheme is appealing for car drivers willing to volunteer to offer lifts to local people to help them to get to their essential medically-related appointments.  

Our passengers are mainly people without any other means of transport. We offer individual, door-to-door journeys, in the driver’s own car.  We do not take groups of people on social or shopping trips and we don’t run a minibus! 

Volunteering for CVCT is completely flexible, with no regular commitment of any kind – our drivers simply offer to take a passenger, if and when they wish to, when they see that a journey has been requested. The passenger is asked to reimburse the driver directly for their mileage expenses. 

The need for transport in this area means that we have grown to cover the rural area between the A38 and the A37, from Dundry and Felton in the north to Clutton and Cameley in the south. So we need to recruit more local volunteer drivers who live within or very near this area. 

Our drivers are supported by a team of six volunteer coordinators who take the calls from people who need a lift and liaise between drivers and passengers to arrange and confirm the journeys. All communication is handled confidentially - the passengers are not given the drivers contact details. 

Here is some passenger feedback we received last year: “Absolutely excellent service!  I don’t know what I would do without you. I live alone and do feel isolated so it is reassuring to know your service exists so I can get to my medical appointments.” 

We are a very friendly team. Our drivers volunteer because they enjoy it - and many have commented about the very good conversations they have had with some really very interesting passengers. 

If you would like to find out more about driving for CVCT please call 01275 333430 or email:  [email protected] 

If you know of anyone who may need our services as a passenger please give them our phone number. 

CVCT has been operating as a Community Interest Company since 2010, under the auspices of WERN, the West of England Rural Network, and has some admin support from WERN.