Shildon Community Bus has served the community of Shildon and the surrounding areas, including NEWTON AYCLIFFE for over 30 years. Covid-19 has greatly impacted our ability to provide the community minibus service and we have been closed since March. Many of the affiliated groups using our transport consist of older people with ongoing health conditions, so demand has ceased, and groups have not been meeting or socialising. Our office and driver volunteers are mostly older people too.
The positive bit is that we are still in existence and look forward to restarting our transport service in Spring 2021 if conditions allow.
We will be following the Government’s guidelines to ensure the safety of volunteers and passengers. We will also be offering minibus driver training to MIDAS standard, free of charge, for organisations which affiliate with us.
Letters are being sent out to all our affiliated groups and volunteer drivers to inform them of the situation. We are actively seeking the views of anyone who has been involved with the Shildon Community Bus. Is there going to be a demand for our service in the future? Do we need to change what we offer? The team will be contacting drivers and affiliated groups in the next couple of months to gather information so that we can offer an appropriate service to the people of Shildon and the surrounding areas, which will include shopping trips and transport for social outings.
If you have anything you wish to ask or share with us, then we will be pleased to hear it. We look forward to serving the community in 2021.
The Secretary, Clare Midgley, can be contacted on 07515 644194 or email: mail@shildoncombus.plus.com
