Fears voluntary car scheme for rural Dorset could “collapse”
The volunteer car scheme for rural parts of Dorset could see drivers “throw in the towel” if they aren’t supported
Volunteer drivers in rural parts of Dorset feel like they’re being “taken for granted” as demand for their services continues to soar.
The ‘volunteer car scheme’ sees volunteers give up their time to take elderly or disabled people to hospital appointments or even social events more than 20 miles away.
Shaftsbury councillor, Derek Beer fears the scheme “could soon collapse,” undermining attempts to improve the lives of many, often elderly or disabled people, in rural areas who find themselves without transport.
He said: “The demand lately has become so great that it’s essentially an ‘on-demand taxi service’ and once it’s hard work, people will have second thoughts about doing it.
“The volunteers need to feel appreciated and sometimes they feel they’re not which is a shame.”
Last weekend, volunteer drivers from his Shaftesbury ward had taken forty different people on 16-mile round trips to get their winter jabs.
Cllr Beer praised the volunteers for helping people who are unable to drive, or unable to afford to drive, in areas where bus services are non-existent or infrequent.
“I know of organisers who say they cannot cope anymore and are wanting to throw in the towel,” he said. “There's no support for them and it's just run by the goodwill of people.”
“All they are calling for is to be recognised or funded in some way because things like insurance and petrol costs a lot of money and it can put quite a strain on the volunteers.”
Portfolio holder for People, Health and Social Care, Health and Housing, Cllr Jane Somper said she was aware of the problems but said, at the moment, there was no specific plan in place to help the volunteer groups, although their work was likely to be reviewed as part of the council’s forthcoming investigation into the county’s voluntary sector.