Volunteering

 

What is Community Transport?

The Community Transport service does exactly what the name suggests. It’s there to get people where they want to go.

If you love driving you can volunteer your wheels and give people who can’t get out and about on their own some much-needed freedom.

Our volunteer drivers meet the needs of the local community, so they’ll be slightly different from region to region. This means that you’ll be able to find a volunteer opportunity that’s just right for you.

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How Community Transport can make a difference

Sometimes we take for granted the freedom to go where we want, when we want.

For those people who find it difficult to get out, or who don’t have a car, our volunteer transport service can help them feel more independent and connect with their local communities.

Volunteer drivers use their own cars or Royal Voluntary Service vehicles to get people where they want to go. This could include:

  • Going to a doctor’s or hospital appointment
  • A shopping trip
  • A social activity or event
  • Seeing family or friends
  • A drive in the country
  • Just getting out of the house

You can help to give them the independence they crave. Our Community Companions service also helps to support people in their own homes.

You’ll be there to lend an ear, giving them someone to chat to along the way. Sometimes you might also lend a steadying hand but you won't be expected to help someone in or out of a wheelchair. As a volunteer driver, you won’t do anything that might put you or the person you’re helping at risk.

Find out more about what you can expect

 

Helping your talent shine

You might have offered your skills and talents in the past or you could be new to volunteering, either way we feel it’s important that you get all the help and support you need so that your skills can make a difference.

You can either volunteer as part of an existing service or start your own Community Transport service.

As a new volunteer driver, you’ll receive a full induction which will ensure that you know exactly what to expect.

It’s important that you gain as much from your voluntary transport role as the people you come into contact with. We can give you hints and tips that we’ve learnt along the way as well as a toolkit to guide you through the process and one-to-one guidance whenever you need it.

We’ll help you make sure that you can transport people safely to and from their destination, making certain that your insurance and other documentation is completed and up to date.

Our volunteer drivers choose to join us for a number of different reasons, but ultimately we hope you’re able to share your talents and skills in a way that works for you.

 

Find an opportunity near you
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"She asks me to read to her but we always end up just talking!"
John, Community Companions volunteer, London
John’s career in the oil industry took him all over the world. He uses his talent in languages when visiting Stella who is from Spain.
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"You don't have to be “skilled” skilled. Every little thing can help. If you can make a decent cup of tea, that will help as well"
Preeti, Lunch Club Volunteer, Rickmansworth
As a home-worker, Preeti enjoys the chance to get out into the community, talking to people and listening to the stories they have to tell.
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