Dorothy's Bus gets on the road to help people in need

CAMELFORD and District Welfare Committee has taken delivery of a new minibus thanks to a Help the Aged grant of nearly £32,000 provided by the charity's SeniorMobility service and the generosity of a local woman.

The bus has been named Dorothy's Bus as the money to purchase the vehicle was left to Help the Aged in a legacy from Dorothy May Hannaford of St Breward, who was a member of the Camelford and District Welfare Committee.

The committee was founded in the late 1960s and provides a door to door service for older and disabled people. It helps around 120 people each month to get to shops and amenities, the post office for pension collection, and health and day centres.

It also helps to transport a group of partially sighted people to a monthly social meeting.

The vehicle was supported through the Help the Aged SeniorMobility service, which exists to help reduce loneliness and isolation among older people. Set up in 1979, the service provides grants for community groups and projects to purchase the vehicles and equipment they require to carry out essential services for older residents in the area or even launch new ones.

Aside from financial help, including significant price discounts on vehicles purchased through the service, SeniorMobility also offers free specialist advice on buying the right vehicle so that it suits individual needs and locality.

David Pierce, committee chairman, said: “We would like to thank Help the Aged for all the help we have received in purchasing this vehicle and we are thankful of the support of the legacy from Dorothy May Hannaford. The minibus has been badly needed for some time now, and I know I speak for all our volunteers when I say that it is vital to our resources here. We look forward to using it for a long time to come.”

Graham Lale, Help the Aged SeniorMobility manager, added: “We were delighted to help Camelford and District Welfare Committee buy Dorothy's Bus. The work this group does for the community is highly commendable and a real lifeline for so many older people and their carers. We hope they all enjoy using the new vehicle very much.”

Projects that could benefit from the services of the SeniorMobility service are invited to find out more about SeniorMobility by calling Graham Lale on 020 7239 1825, or by e-mailing him at graham.lale@helptheaged.org.uk.

Help the Aged urgently needs donations and support to help it in the increasingly challenging fight to free disadvantaged older people from poverty, isolation and neglect. Visit www.helptheaged.org.uk or call 0207 239 1982.