REPORT OF PERTH & KINROSS COMMUNITY TRANSPORT GROUP
ANNUAL MEETING
Friday 5th June 2009
Pullar House, Kinnoull
Street, Perth PH1 5GP
Meeting Room 10/11
11.00am
Present: | Norman
Jarvie | Chairman PKCTG |
| Jim
Gibb | Treasurer PKCTG |
| Fiona
Mapp | Vice Chair KVGROS |
| Morna
Calcott | Kinross Volunteer Group and Rural Outreach Scheme |
| Ann Munro | Kinross Volunteer Group and
Rural Outreach Scheme |
| Colin Carr | PKAVS |
| Raine Du Puy | P&K Access Group |
| Isobel Watson | Pitlochry Senior Citizens and Good Neighbours Association |
| James Robertson | Perth Access Cars |
| Adrienne Ruddock | Independent Advocacy (IAPK) |
| T Quantrill | Volunteer Driver P&K Council |
| N Quantrill | Volunteer Driver P&K Council |
| E Mulgrew | Volunteer Driver P&K Council |
| Margaret Archibold | Disabled Friends of West Mill
Library |
| Jessie Clayton | Disabled
Friends of West Mill Library |
| Jean Swan | Disabled Friends of West Mill Library |
| Norma
Reid | Disabled Friends of West Mill Library |
| Councillor Alasdair Wylie | Ward 4 (Strathtay Ward) P&K
Council |
| Kathleen Coffey | WRVS |
| Lorna Teague | WRVS |
| Irene Smeaton | Perth Handicap Club |
| Neil Aitken | Comrie Hospital Driving Service |
| Angela
Prescott | CDW PKCTG |
| Jayne
Ramsay | Assistant CDW PKCTG |
Apologies: | Richard Hall | PKCTG |
| Councillor Caroline Shiers | Ward 3 P& K Council |
| Councillor Willie Robertson | Ward 8 P & K Council |
| Nick Cole | Blairgowrie and District Next Steps |
| Alison
Stewart | Aberfeldy Hospital Cars |
| Councillor
Peter Mulheron | Ward 1 P & K Council |
| Councillor Heather Stewart | Ward 12 P & K Council |
| Councillor Kathleen Baird | Ward 8 P & K Council |
| Provost John Hulbert | Ward 1 P & K Council |
| Councillor Helen McDonald | Ward 6 P & K Council |
| Local Councillor Stan Bruce | Dull & Weem, Aberfeldy |
| Councillor Jack Coburn | Ward 12 P & K Council |
| Sue Sadler | PKCTG |
| Councillor Ian Miller | Ward 2 P & K Council |
| Frank Muggridge | Strathcare |
| Jane Laahs | NHS Tayside - Voluntary Services
Manager |
| Councillor Kate Howie | Ward
4 P&K Council |
| Duncan Hearsum | Chief Executive, Dial a Journey Stirling |
| Donald
Isles | Pitlochry |
| Kelvin
Reay | KVGROS |
| John Berry | PTU – P&K Council |
Present and Apologies
The Chairman, Norman Jarvie, welcomed representatives from Community Transport Organisations, service users and members
of P&K Council to this Annual Meeting of the Perth & Kinross Community Transport Group. In particular
he warmly welcomed George Thomson, Chief Executive Officer, Volunteer Development Scotland as the keynote speaker.
Apologies were noted.
Norman described the year as being interesting with the Group concentrating on its
core responsibilities of providing appropriate information to members, communicating regularly with them and facilitating
training. Identifying new opportunities and implementing new initiatives including the community Car Association
have been successful. The Minibus Operators Group will be launched today and a new Community Transport
Directory published within the next month or so. Concerns for many members are the ever increasing regulations
affecting community transport and Health and Safety Policies.
Encouraging
volunteers into community transport is a priority and the theme of this meeting could well be ‘moving people to move
people’. There is perhaps no one better qualified on this topic than our speaker, George Thomson,
a graduate of Aberdeen University in law and post-graduate studies in social sciences. His career has centred
on community development and in finding ways in which people connect with others in voluntary action. He
has worked with volunteers in Trade Unions, Churches, Community organisations and in specialist areas such as Children’s
Panels, Disability Rights and Tenants Movement.
Keynote Speaker –
George Thomson, CEO Volunteer Development Scotland
George
thanked the Group for the invitation to speak today and the Chairman for his introduction.
He talked of the mantra for volunteers as being the three R’s, Recruit, Retain and Reward.
We might need to change our way of thinking so instead of recruit we could relate to build relationships to create
networks and instead of retain we should consider rotation of volunteers to lessen the demands sometimes imposed on them.
40-50% of ex-volunteers would not volunteer again but with rotation we could reward their contribution and thank them
for their work before they leave.
George presented some interesting
research findings about what attracts volunteers. While not yet a crisis too much pressure can put people
off. We need to push the positives of volunteering such as flexibility, legitimacy (how it looks to peers),
good experiences, good organisation and variety. We should never make assumptions about a volunteer’s
knowledge and be prepared to offer continuing support. Widening the use of mobile phone technology and
how this may be used within the organisation may be helpful.
Attracting volunteers to social networks is important and extending these for support is possible by building on relations
with schools, companies and others.
It is known that the willingness
of people to respond is good but 60% have never been asked to volunteer for anything. Those who volunteer
in their pre-retirement years tend to continue for several years. The average age of volunteers at present
is 60 and consideration of their needs is vital for them to feel their contribution is worthwhile.
George highlighted that Disclosure can be an issue when attracting volunteers with many sensitive
to the possibility of intrusion in their lives by this process. However we should be positive and make
sure it is not over used as there may be other positions within an organisation that do not need Disclosure.
Mr Thomson stressed the public value of Community Transport although funding
and other resources are becoming more difficult to source. However voluntary groups who provide complementary
transport for the NHS, SAS and others are in a strong position to secure funding in the future.
A
question and Answer session followed:
Disclosure.Margaret Archibold informed those present that Disclosures
can be hard to obtain for their organisation. The Chairman advised that the CDW would be happy to offer Disclosures without
charge for their organisations volunteers.
Conclusion
The Chairman thanked the speaker for his excellent presentation.
The content was informative, well researched and eminently practical with something for everyone.