A lifeline for the COMMUNITY

An invaluable charity in North Norfolk helps local residents stay connected

- SERENA SHORES

Jane Bishop is passionate about the work North Norfolk Community Transport (NNCT) does for isolated communities. What touches her most is the feedback they receive from the charity's passengers - one of whom hadn't left her home for four years before she was given a chance to regain her freedom on one of their recognisable white buses with a blue, grey and green logo.

'Like lots of very rural parts of the UK, many villages in North Norfolk have no transport links and there are countless isolated houses with no access to a car. They might not be serviced by a bus stop at all, or it might be two miles away,' says Jane, 61.

'For people who love the home they've known for decades, our bus is part of what enables them to remain living independently. Sometimes just the practicalities of day-to-day life can be a challenge.'

The NNCT was set up in 1999 to fill gaps left by conventional transport. The Dial-a-Ride buses get people to shops and services, and mean they have direct, reliable access to local towns and supermarkets. As well as this door-to-door service, NNCT offers Lottery-funded excursions to places of interest, and it is the passengers who choose the destinations themselves.

'Sometimes a partner who did the driving has died, and in other cases, people have had to give up their car due to poor health or lost confidence,' Jane explains. 'It means so much to them, but their families also know they can relax in the fact that our buses are not just safe and friendly, but support their relatives socially, giving them vital interaction and companionship,' she continues.