History

Our first Flyer was delivered in 1993, and funded jointly by Kennet District Council and the CPRE (Campaign for the Protection of Rural England). This was under an initiative to encourage villages to run their own local mini-buses, where there was a shortage of scheduled bus services. A survey had been done in the village to ascertain the level of interest in having such a service.  After the demise of KDC, ownership of the Flyer was  transferred to Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council and subsequently we have created a dedicated charity 'Ramsbury Community Transport CIO'.

We receive a yearly grant from Wiltshire Council towards depreciation costs and a grant from the Parish Council to help with running costs : we are hopeful this will continue. The day to day costs of running the Flyer are paid for by the regular services to Hungerford, Marlborough and Newbury and the Surgery runs. We also gain revenue from providing group transport to community organisations and private individuals.The aim of the Flyer is to offer extra transport to the residents of Ramsbury, and local villages, complimenting the public transport available, and providing a community service. The committee has always been mindful not to undercut our village businesses, but wishes to offer residents the opportunity to visit local towns, to go to the bank or building society, the market, or clothes and specialist shops nearby.

Volunteering

We have a dedicated group of volunteer drivers, and another group, who clean the Flyer.We are always looking for new people to help out : if you would like to go on the driving rota, please give Graham Cherrington a call on 01672 520548. You will only be asked to do one run per month, for 2-4 hours, on dates of your choice : this would be either driving the flyer into Hungerford, or taking residents to and from the Surgery. There is also the chance to take the new service into Marlborough on the first Wednesday of the month.As a volunteer driver, you would have the opportunity to gain the Midas qualification, which is nationally recognised, and can possibly reduce your own personal car insurance premiums.If you would prefer to help with cleaning the flyer, please call Kingsley Setter on 01672-520684. You would be asked to carry this out, just once every two to three months. This is a good solution if you would like to help out, but do not feel you are able to actually drive the flyer.

Organisation

The Ramsbury Community Transport CIO is run by 5 trustees, under the chairmanship of Kingsley Setter : it operates as a fully independent charity. Our Registered Charity Number is 1156281.

We have close links with Community First, based in Devizes, and benefit from their support with regard to new legislation, new community ideas and suggestions for further services.A quarterly rota is organised, which assigns volunteer drivers to the various community services offered.

Each of our volunteer drivers is encouraged to take a qualification in driving a minibus, which is part of the Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme (MIDAS). This is a programme designed to enhance the driving skills of minibus drivers, for which additional skills are needed. It is a most worthwhile certification to have. In recent years, we have been fortunate enough to receive a grant from the Parish Council to help with the expense associated with MIDAS training.

If you have any queries regarding the Flyer, please call either

Chairman (Kingsley Setter) on 01672-520684 or the

Booking Secretary on 07584-253117.

NOTICES

West Berkshire Passsenger Charter

Please click the link below to download a copy of the West Berkshire Passenger Charter to which we are signed up

West Berks Charter document

Volunteer Driver Forms

If you becoming a volunteer driver pleas download the forms below