Community transport group need new home

WARRINGTON Community Transport is in urgent need of a new home for its Dial-a-Ride mini bus service for the health and well-being of staff and their vehicles.
Brian Wilson, General Manager of the charitable organisation which provides a door to door accessible minibus transport service operating locally within the boundaries of Warrington Borough Council using friendly, helpful staff and volunteers, said: “Under present circumstances it is extremely difficult to cope with the dusty environment, keeping the vehicle interiors clean and dust free which is so essential as many of our members have breathing related difficulties. In addition to which the cement accumulates under the vehicles, and as a result adds substantially to our vehicle maintenance costs.”
They are currently based in what have become unbearable premises in Athlone Road.
Cllr Geoff Settle said: ‘As an asthmatic I couldn’t work here because we are sited between the dust and noise of a cement company and a recycling business banging away all day. The vehicles are visibly getting damaged by the conditions and it can’t be good for people’s long term health. Our last meeting in the portakabin (pictured right) was like being in a sweat box, how Brian and his staff can work here all day is a mystery to me.”
Chair Denis Collins agreed saying: “At every Trustee’s meeting I find it difficult to re-assure the staff representative of our empathy with the staff in their Dickensian working conditions. This unacceptable state of affairs has continued for a number of years, and to continue to offer the fine service to the public by staff and volunteers it is essential that we re-house them”.
Warrington Community Transport aims to provide a reliable, flexible and sustainable transport system to meet individual need,
thereby ensuring that disabled, vulnerable and older people are not marginalised or isolated. The service provides its members with the opportunity to access essential services such as: employment, education, training, healthcare appointments, shopping, social and leisure activities. It also helps to remove barriers of social exclusion within the community by encouraging voluntary sector groups to use community transport for social and educational purpose.
As trustees the Directors have a clear responsibility for sorting these issues out for the charity and they have been working extremely hard to find
somewhere suitable at an affordable cost. They have currently exhausted all the suggestions put forward by Warrington Borough Council’s asset manager and have started to look at the private sector but their prices and/or terms have proved too prohibitive.
Cllr Settle, who drives a mini bus for the Visually Impaired People once a week, knows how hard it is to relocate. He said “When we moved from Museum Street to the Fairfield and Howley Community Centre it was a massive effort to organise. The biggest thing was finding a new premises and that took years.
“If anyone has any suggestions or ideas, the WCT would like to hear from you no matter what they are.”
Please contact Brian Wilson on 01925 419977 or email [email protected] or call Councillor Geoff Settle tel: 07768 542 635, email [email protected]