News

News update November 2008

Big Thinking - The Big Lottery Fund Consultation

Got something to say about Lottery funding for communities? Now's your chance to make your voice heard. The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) is running a consultation over the next few months to help it plan for the future and shape funding policies over the next six years. Big thinking will enable BIG to look at how it awards funding to projects and ensure that the biggest impact is achieved with the Lottery pound. BIG would like to hear from a wide variety of organisations throughout Scotland as it looks to improve the way it delivers funding to those most in need.
Have your say by visiting www.big-thinking.org.uk from 17 November 2008 to 27 February 2009

News update October 2008

The Fare Deal

Mass Call for “A Fare Deal”
12 Organisation Partnership Means Bus-iness
Thousands of older and disabled people across Scotland in possession of a free bus pass are excluded from the Scottish Government’s free bus travel scheme because they cannot access scheduled buses. Other forms of transport that they can access, such as those provided by voluntary organisations like Dial-a-Bus or Ring ’n’ Ride known as demand responsive community transport, are not included in the scheme. To highlight this anomaly, a partnership^[^1] of 12 major organisations representing Scotland’s older and disabled people, spearheaded by Help the Aged in Scotland , Capability Scotland and the Community Transport Association Scotland, is asking the Scottish Government to include demand responsive community transport in the scheme as a matter of urgency.

The “A Fare Deal” campaign, launched today, aims to highlight this discrimination against people who, through no fault of their own, are excluded from what can be a lifeline service, either because they cannot access conventional buses, live too far from a bus stop, have no bus service at all or the bus timetable does not suit their needs. They are forced to turn to demand responsive community transport or in extreme cases, taxis, and this usually costs them money, money many of them can’t afford, putting the most vulnerable at risk of poverty and isolation. The partnership estimates that around 2.6 million journeys are made annually in Scotland using demand responsive transport. The fact that many of these journeys, in both rural and urban settings, are made by people with free bus passes who have to pay simply because they cannot access scheduled bus services, is unfair. 84-year-old Bunty Scott lives in Bridge of Urr, 2 miles off the nearest bus route in Dumfries and Galloway. She’s bent almost double with arthritis and a little deaf, but has the following point to make: “It’s just not fair – I’ve always loved nature and am surrounded by it in this beautiful part of the world, but never really experience it any more. I stare at four walls most of the time and that’s a desperate situation to be in.” Gail Brown, Campaigns Officer at Help the Aged in Scotland says: “We want to see everyone who is entitled to use the Scotland-wide free travel scheme able to benefit from it. Thousands of older and disabled people have to restrict their journeys to essential trips and miss out on social, cultural and in some cases economic activities, to their and society’s detriment, just because demand responsive community transport is not included. It’s high time they got “A Fare Deal”.” John MacDonald, Director for Scotland, Community Transport Association says: “The scheme has been a boon for many people but sadly it’s those who need it most who are missing out. Extending it to community and voluntary transport providers, who provide the best services for those who are most frail or disabled, would be easy and the cost to the government would be insignificant.” Faye Gatenby, Capability Scotland’s Campaigns, Parliamentary & Policy Manager says: " Disabled people must not be excluded from the healthier, wealthier and fairer Scotland that the Government is working towards, nor should disabled people be excluded from the benefits that free bus travel can bring simply because the buses are not accessible to them. There is a lot that needs to be done to make our transport accessible for disabled people - extending the National Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme to include Demand Responsive Community Transport is a small, relatively inexpensive yet important step that the Government can make." The “A Fare Deal” campaign is asking supporters of the initiative to sign a postcard which will be distributed by all partner organisations across the country. They can also sign and support the campaign by clicking onto the Help the Aged in Scotland web site at http://campaigns.helptheaged.org.uk/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=31&ea.campaign.id=1443 . The signatures will then be presented to the Scottish Government in December to demonstrate the public backing for extending the free bus scheme to include demand responsive community transport.

Six individuals from Pitlochry Senior Citizens and Good Neighbours completed their MiDAS Training delivered by PKCTG in October 2008. In addition to this, two representatives from Aberfeldy Sharks successfully completed the course! Congratulations to all!
News update September 2008
From 6th October 2008, Community Car Association members will be able to access preferred parking spaces at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
Please consult the Hospital Parking at Ninewells Webpage

Seven individuals completed MiDAS training in Blairgowrie on 6th September. All seven participants are members of Blairgowrie and District Next Steps (BADNS) walking group. Congratulations to all who participated.

PKCTG were invited to deliver a presentation to Politicians, and members of the Voluntary Sector, at an event organised by the CVS in Perth. Angela Prescott stressed the importance of Community Transport Sector and the difference it makes to peoples lives. Presentations were also given by representatives from Age Concern, Perth Citizens Advice, Perth and District YMCA, Independent Advocacy P&K, CVS P&K and Check in Group P&K.

John Swinney MSP was the keynote Speaker at the PKCTG Annual Meeting held on the 27th June 2008. Reports from the meeting can be found on our PKCTG Annual Meeting and AGM 2008 Webpage

The PKCTG Annual General Meeting and formal launch of the Community Car Association will take place in the Centenary Suite, McDiarmid Park, on Friday 27th June 2008 at 2pm.

Please contact PKCTG if you have an interest in Community Transport and would like to attend as numbers may be limited.

Blairgowrie and District Next Steps (BADNS) have purchased a second hand minibus from a PKCTG member. BADNS organise walks for all ages and abilities around Blairgowrie and the Glens. A link to their website can be found on our voluntary sector links page!