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Operator Name: Accessible Community Travel Services Accessible Community Travel Services (ACTS)
A project of Age Concern Network of Newcastle & District
Annual Report
Covering the period April 2006 to March 2007
In April 2006 ACTS commenced a new ambitious two year business plan covering the years 2006/2007 and 2007/2008. Having achieved rapid growth in membership, services provided, staff and volunteers it was necessary to work to underpin this growth and be ready to celebrate ACTS 10th birthday in 2009.
The ACTS ‘fleet’ consists of two minibuses, one designed for 12 passengers and one which will accommodate 16 passengers and two MPV’s, one which will seat eight passengers and another to take 3 passengers and a wheelchair user. All vehicles are fully accessible. ACTS also has five brokerage agreements with other organisations to use their vehicles when available, thus being able to expand as demand requires. In December 2007 the 12 passenger vehicle is due to be replaced having by that time travelled some 120,000 miles. The new vehicle will take 16 passengers and of course be fully accessible. The ACTS Sub Committee is also considering purchasing a new minibus, which will also be a 16 passenger vehicle, and this could enter service in the late summer.
The staff of ACTS during this period has grown again, now totalling twelve. Gemma Owens is in the post of administration officer and she has been joined by Elaine Morgan as administration assistant. Tommy Robinson and David McMordie, ACTS two staff drivers, have been joined by a small team of casual drivers consisting of Graham Wood, Allison McCann, Peter McCarron and Harry McCartan. Brendan Downey continues as project officer. ACTS now also has three passenger assistants to provide help on assisted shopping.
ACTS has continued to recruit volunteer minibus drivers, social car drivers and volunteer passenger assistants as these people play a vital role in the running and expansion of services. Local volunteers fully involved in the activities of ACTS such as driving the minibuses, the social cars, helping out in the office and assisting on the trips, give ACTS that extra special quality and roots the organisation squarely within the local community.
ACTS continued to provide shopping trips on Mondays to large shopping centres such as Castlecourt in Belfast and Bow Street Mall in Lisburn. Trips to other interesting destinations included Junction One, the Outlet, Bangor Market and Craigavon’s Rushmere Centre have provided the members with lots of retail therapy.
Tours to places of interest such as Bushmills Distillery, Tyrone Crystal, Ulster American Folk Park, Tayto Crisps Factory, Lisburn Linen Museum, Cultra Folk Park, Stormont and Belfast City Hall were also provided.
Trips were organised to Belfast Rose Week, Rowallane Gardens, Annalong Corn Mill, East and South Down Coasts, Bronte Homeland and other local places of interest. Members also had the opportunity to be part of the Downpatrick St. Patrick’s Day Parade. A very popular destination was The Glens of Antrim and it is hoped to repeat this tour next summer along with the all the other favourites. A new destination will be Belfast Zoo.
Assisted shopping has been expanded to two days a week as part of the ‘Safe & Well’ Project in the Newcastle area and also as part of this project ACTS’ social car scheme has received financial assistance for members attending doctor and hospital appointments. ACTS continues to provide assistance to a number of wheelchair users and has introduced a ‘self-drive’ scheme for the “Conniemobile”, the MPV presented to ACTS in memory or Connie Bailie, to make this vehicle affordable for families with a wheelchair user.
ACTS social car scheme is provided by volunteers, 14 at present, and brings members to hospital appointments in Belfast and Downpatrick as well as shopping, visiting friends and to other appointments. It is well used by members and is in need of more volunteer drivers so as to expand it availability.
ACTS is carrying out a social audit to examine its mission statement which says,
“Accessible Community Travel Services seeks to provide affordable, accessible, demand-led transport for the elderly, disabled, isolated and disadvantaged living in the Greater Newcastle rural area in order to alleviate loneliness and social isolation and improve the quality of life for its members.”
Questionnaires will be sent out to groups, staff, volunteers and members to see if ACTS is fulfilling its mission and a report will be available in June 2007.
Brendan Downey
Partnership Project Officer
April 2007 |
