Transport & Access

 

Our partnership with Easington Lane Community Access Point (ELCAP) has seen the provision of a new mini bus as well as a grant for core costs. Over the first 5 years of the Big Local programme we committed £135,000 to ELCAP in order to help achieve their aim of providing affordable community transport, reducing social isolation and tackling loneliness.

ELCAP now have 6 mini buses which are dedicated to improving access issues for those who are least mobile. The project is managed by transport manager, Dave Ellison, two further staff drivers and a team of volunteers who give their time and energy to this community life-line.

The offer from ELCAP is wide ranging and reaches many people within the Big Local area. There are regular trips for community groups, a weekly shopping trip and bespoke door to door pick-ups for medical appointments.

It is often the unexpected things that make the transport project unique, things like helping with falls, replacing plugs and the wonderful Christmas Day transport to lunch for those who would ordinarily be alone. Over and above what anyone should expect and often lost in the statistics on reports and evaluations, the stories of the project impacting individual lives shows how it is improving your community to make it an even better place to live.

Although our funding for this has now come to an end, the transport project very much continues its good work in the community and we are very proud to have been a part of helping it achieve its success.