Wandsworth Community Transport

After nearly two difficult years in portacabins, the new Shopmobility at Sainsbury’s, Garratt Lane SW18 is now open and it is brilliant!

• A fully Accessible Shopping Shuttle
• Free use of mobility scooters and wheelchairs around the Town Centre
• Long term hire of mobility aids
• Training and assessment
• Outings
• Volunteers to help you get around

30^th Anniversary for Wandsworth Community Transport

 Wandsworth Community Transport celebrated its 30^th anniversary last week (on Thursday 3^rd July) with a party featuring the Wimbledon Rock Choir at the Wandsworth Civic Suite. The Deputy Mayor (Cllr Richard Field), Councillors, members of staff, users of the service and volunteers enjoyed a fantastic concert and celebrated 30 years of success for the organisation, which provides minibus transport for community groups and individuals who cannot use public transport.

The Rock Choir performed a number of contemporary classics, with plenty of audience participation, and everyone had a lot of fun. Singing is good for you and the crowds of smiling faces proved the point.

The Deputy Mayor presided over the event and in his speech paid glowing compliments to Wandsworth Community Transport’s fabulous achievement over so many years.

“It was great to see such an amazing turn out” said Managing Director Manuel Button “and to have the opportunity to say thank you to the Council that has supported us so well over so many years and which provided the venue free of charge.

The Civic Suite was jammed to the rafters and it was a joy to see all our members, supporters and volunteers having such fun. To see that level of support was the best tribute we could ever have been given and shows the power of our organisation, not to mention almost £1,500  raised at the event to go towards a new minibus. It shows what can be achieved by local people working together in partnership.”

Deputy Mayor Richard Field opens proceedings              

Wandsworth Community provides minibus transport for local organisations and its Shopmobilty service provides for some of the most isolated elderly and disabled people in the Borough, providing regular door-to-door shopping trips and trips out to the coast and places of interest.

Anyone who would like to find out more or to join the award winning team of volunteers, should call Manuel on 020 8675 7460.

Pictures provided by Chris Mikami at www.mikami.co.uk

See more on http://www.mikami.co.uk/p332306834

The latest newsletter includes details of our summer programme including the new long haul trips to destinations like Rye and Blenheim Palace, as well as all the old favourites. See the newsletter for full details (PDF) and to find out how to book.

Every year Battersea Park Rotary Club put on a fantastic Christmas Day lunch for the elderly and disabled people of Wandsworth and every year WCT mobilises its entire fleet of minibuses to provide transport. We know from our many passengers who attend that it is incredibly important to them and that they put on a wonderful day.

Its a great example of the Big Society in action and something that all those who help should be proud of. In that spirit, I would like to add my personal congratulations and pay tribute to all our drivers who get involved. When many Community Transports have their minibuses locked in their yards on Christmas Day, all 25 of ours are out. That’s 25 of our drivers who volunteer to drive every Christmas Day, and I for one am mightily impressed.

So congratulations are definitely due all round and I look forward to the same again next year!

Manuel Button
Manging Director