Cumbria County Council’s Community Transport Service is seeking new faces to join the council’s voluntary social car schemes.

The Community Transport service has a team of over 200 volunteer drivers and co-ordinators providing around 33 voluntary social car schemes throughout Cumbria, providing journeys for people who need to do the weekly shop, see the doctor, or just to visit friends. These volunteers help over 1,300 customers with their transport needs every year, with over 5,300 trips provided during 2022-23.

The county council are on the look-out for more people able to give up some of their spare time to be volunteer drivers or scheme co-ordinators. All expenses are reimbursed. As well as learning new skills and providing a lifeline for people without access to transport, signing up as a volunteer is a good way to meet new people and give something back to the community.

The council understands that times are difficult at present with the cost-of-living and fuel, and hope that if you are in a fortunate position to help others, you will find the roles rewarding. Car sharing can also be beneficial to covering the costs of running your own vehicle and be able to run your own errands whilst helping others.

We are specifically looking for volunteer co-ordinators to organise journeys with volunteer drivers in the following areas:

Sedbergh / Dent
Millom / Haverigg
Ulverston / Dalton-in-Furness
Whitehaven / St Bees / Egremont / Cleator Moor / Frizington / Arlecdon

Volunteer drivers are needed across the county in the following areas:

Wigton
Aspatria
Alston
Kirkby Stephen
Orton
Shap
Tebay
Kendal
Sedbergh / Dent
Millom / Haverigg
Whitehaven / St Bees / Egremont / Cleator Moor / Arlecdon / Frizington
Ulverston / Dalton-in-Furness
Grange-over-Sands

We are also currently looking to set up new voluntary schemes in several areas of the county, and are seeking volunteer co-ordinators and drivers in the following locations:

Brampton
Workington
Silloth / Bowness-on-Solway
Maryport / Allonby
Longtown
Rampside / Roosebeck / Newbiggin / Leece / Dendron / Stank

Councillor Keith Little, Cumbria County Council Cabinet Member for Transport, said:

“Our volunteers do an incredible job and play a vital role in getting people out and about. We couldn’t provide this service without their valued efforts.

“We’re looking for more volunteers to support our community transport schemes, so if you have some time to spare and feel that you could help, we’d really like to hear from you.”

Anyone interested in finding out more should contact Katy Wood, the council’s Voluntary Transport Officer, 07788 396194, or visit www.cumbria.gov.uk/voluntarycarscheme