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Community Bus Merger
Currently, this Volunteer Centre operates two individual minibus schemes. With effect from 1 April 07 with the agreement of Leicestershire County Council and an offer of £25,000 additional funding we are enhancing our transport scheme by bringing the Castle Donington Community Bus Scheme under Volunteer Centre management. This will result in a fleet of four minibuses, three of which are able to carry up to 5 people confined to wheelchairs, that will operate throughout Leicestershire. Last year the two schemes travelled 47,000 miles carrying 17,500 passengers.
This merger will provide a fully comprehensive service and allow an effective operation that is able to meet the challenges in the future.
Christmas Fund Raising
Castle Donington Volunteer Centre raised around £450 for Volunteer Centre funds from their Christmas fundraising.
Charity Christmas Cards - in addition to money being raised for the Centre, three charities also benefited with the following amounts - £344.43 to Save the Children, £113.12 to the British Heart Foundation and £142.88 to Home Farm Trust .
Christmas Prize Draw – £336 was raised and prizes were very gratefully received from Yew Lodge Hotel, Kegworth & Kegworth Whitehouse Hotel, Donington Race Track, Derby County Football Club, The Tudor Hotel & Castle Donington Service Centre. Local customers of the Volunteer Centre also donated several prizes.
Mrs Sheila Lakin won the first prize of dinner for two people at The Yew Lodge Hotel.
We would like to thank everyone who supported our fundraising in any way.
VOLUNTEERS WANTED
Two of our most effective in-house services are in desperate need of help.
We urgently require owner drivers for our two hospital transport schemes at Castle Donington and Kegworth, and we would be pleased to welcome enquiries from the Diseworth/Breedon area. Mileage allowance is paid. Criminal record Bureau Disclosure (CRB) check is mandatory but is organised by the Bureau at no charge to the applicant.
Minibus drivers and escorts are needed for our four vehicles that operate within and beyond North West Leicestershire.
A clean driving licence is required and there is an upper age limit of 70 years. CRB checks are required, but as with the Hospital Transport scheme these checks are free of charge. Drivers would be required to undertake a familiarisation drive and attend a short (approx 2 hour) Minibus Drivers Awareness Scheme (MiDAS) course. Bureau staff will be responsible for overseeing both the drive and the short familiarisation session.
We still need more volunteer gardeners to help the elderly/disabled keep their gardens tidy. Our new scheme started last year with just three volunteers who gave of their time to make over 40 visits to clients’ gardens. You don’t have to be an Alan Titchmarsh or Charlie Dimmock, just someone who enjoys a bit of simple gardening, exercise and fresh air !!! . All equipment is provided by the Centre. Transport would be desirable but not essential.
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