Volunteer driver scheme saved from the axe

FROME Town Council has thrown Frome Community Cars a lifeline, saving the service from an uncertain future. 

The volunteer driver scheme was at risk of closure when Mendip Community Transport, who took over management of the service last year from the town council, announced last month that they were dropping the service as it cost too much for them to run. Frome Town Council was given just three weeks’ notice to find an alternative arrangement for the service.

The scheme has been running since 2016 and currently has 300 members and conducts 130 journeys a month, helping users access services such as medical appointments and make trips to shops for essentials, or visit friends and family.

The town council has announced that it will be working in partnership with Sustainable Frome – the local community interest company which supports a number of initiatives and campaigns in the town – to continue the service.

At last week’s town council ‘Town Matters’ meeting, councillors voted unanimously to contribute £1,000 towards the development costs of the project to enable the scheme to continue, develop a sustainable business model and transition away from the need for grant funding.

Highlighting the importance of the service, Anna Francis, resilience manager for the town council said, “This service is about connecting the community and enabling the community to link with each other and support each other with the things that they need.”

In support, town councillor Mel Usher said, “There’s lot more help given to users from drivers than there would be with a normal taxi service – I know volunteers who will carry shopping into the house, put it away, before going on to their next job.

“If we could build the service up, find the right level of volunteers and perhaps be putting some more of our own money in, then this could be something quite substantial for the community.”