Transport for The Seniors of Crowthorne
Crowthorne Community Minibus is a small, independent charity entirely run by unpaid volunteers, all of whom have had interesting careers.
| Richard Skilton | Chairman |
| Karen Boucher | Secretary |
| Carol Baldry | Treasurer |
| Malcolm May | Maintenance Manager |
| Philip Hood | Driver Manager |
| Brian Jones | Passenger Coordinator |
| Mike Frost | Sunday Drivers / 100 Club |
| Jackie Temple | Programme Organiser |
| Rachel Wakeman | Fundraising & Publicity Manager |
The first ingredient is a clearly defined, limited area where a minibus can get down the roads and collect 15 passengers from their homes in less than an hour. That's why it's so successful in Crowthorne, a largish village with mostly, modern roads.
The next important ingredient is a source of drivers. Crowthorne has a golf club and many of our drivers play golf... I daresay that a Rotary or Lions Club or other socially minded group could also be a useful source of drivers. We also have a local private school where retiring staff discover that driving our minibus full of interesting old folk is a real pleasure after spending their time with the younger generation. Our drivers usually take one or two trips per month although there is no obligation to be regular.
Then there is the community transport software ingredient. Our database of trips, passengers and drivers is constantly updated as things change. Trips are usually planned well in advance for a three-monthly programme but sometimes things change at the last minute. Passengers book their trips for each programme but sometimes need to cancel before the date arrives and can be replaced by a reserve. Occasionally a driver finds he or she can no longer drive on a planned date. All these changes are easy to accommodate using our system. If anything changes the driver is immediately notified by email and can see the new list and what has changed. The driver clicks a link in the email to confirm receipt - important for the coordinator be assured. After each trip the driver gives feedback about how the trip went and if there were any problems. This is always useful as it helps us plan future trips.
If you are interested in setting up a similar community transport service in your area we would be happy to give advice. Our software can cope with multiple buses of any size and any pickup arrangements. Please enquire via our contact page.