WESTBURY & District Link scheme is for elderly or disabled people living locally who are unable to use public transport and have no-one else to call on. The local Link scheme is now in need of more volunteers to help deliver their vital service in the area. Volunteers can help by taking people to hospital and doctors’ appointments, or help with shopping and other practical assistance.
The Link scheme are now looking for volunteers to help drive people to appointments, as well as coordinators who will take calls from clients in their own home.
Westbury & District Link has been serving the town’s community for the past 18 years thanks to the support of volunteer drivers and coordinators. Many of those can only give a very limited amount of time but are much valued by Link and especially by its clients.
The group say they are always so pleased to welcome new volunteers to their team and volunteering involves absolutely no commitment, merely an offer to be contactable when a request for transport is received.
In return, driver volunteers receive expenses for the use of their vehicle but, much more importantly, an opportunity to hear some wonderful life stories and to forge some special relationships that would otherwise never be made.
This generates a great feeling of satisfaction as a result of providing such a much-needed and valued service to our often elderly and frail neighbours.
The charity relies totally on volunteers to provide that service to over 200 currently registered client friends in Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Chapmanslade, Yarnbrook, Heywood and Hawkeridge.
Last year, despite the restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic, its drivers made 1,200 trips, travelling 20,000 miles to transport those client friends to hospitals as far as Bath and Salisbury, as well as doctors’ surgeries, dentists and opticians in between. That’s an average of five every weekday.
If you are interested in finding out more, you can do so via their website, www. westburyanddistrictlink scheme.co.uk/ or by phone Mon – Fri 9am– 1pm on 01373- 859669 when a coordinator will take your details for someone to contact you.
