Voluntary Social Car Scheme

There are 17 schemes set up across Westmorland and Furness to provide transport for all members of the community of any age. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.

The Voluntary Social Car Scheme is intended for those people who have no other means of transport. We have volunteers who provide a door-to-door service across the county to collect you from your home and take you to your chosen destination for a reasonable cost.

The service can be used for a wide variety of purposes including:

making connections with public transport
doing the weekly shop
attending doctor and dentist appointments
visiting friends

Where to find your nearest Voluntary Social Car Scheme

To find out where your nearest Voluntary Car Scheme is, please contact the Voluntary Transport Officer:

Telephone: 03332 406965(option 5)
Mobile: 07788 396194
Email: integrated.transport@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk

If you require assistance, you will need to make your own arrangements for this.

Transport to and from hospital

If you need transport to get to your hospital appointment, please check your eligibility for Patient Transport by contacting the Patient Transport Service run by North West Ambulance on 0800 032 3240.

If you want to volunteer

We rely on our volunteer drivers and coordinators to run the scheme, and we’re always looking for more people to join the scheme.

There’s no minimum time commitment and as a thank you from local businesses, once you are a volunteer, you will be able to take advantage of their generous discounts.

You can drive as often and regularly or as little and infrequently as you wish. You can advise your local coordinator of any days/times when you know that you will be unavailable. The local coordinator will call you with details of a journey and to see if you are available but if not, they will contact another driver.

Volunteer coordinators

Coordinators organise transport, recruit drivers and publicise the scheme in their local area. All expenses are reimbursed.

We’re currently looking to recruit volunteer coordinators in:

Sedbergh and Dent
Ulverston and Dalton-in-Furness
Kirkby Stephen

Volunteer drivers

Drivers provide transport for people using your own car, and you will be reimbursed fuel expenses at 45 pence per mile without a passenger, or 50p per mile when there is a passenger in the vehicle.

You will be given the cash fare and offer a receipt to the passenger (this may be declined if not required).

You would not be required to go into a client’s home, when we collect a client, we sometimes go to their front door, check they have their key and then walk them to the car.

We help guide them in (we do not lift) and make sure they have their seat belt on. If we have taken a client shopping, we would help them in with their small bags if you are physically able.

We’re currently looking to recruit volunteer drivers for the following areas:

Alston
Grange-over-Sands
Kendal
Kirkby Stephen
Orton
Sedbergh
Shap
Tebay
Ulverston

Most insurance companies will allow volunteering activities under the Association of British Insurers Agreement, but in some cases we do look for verification of this using a copy of confirmation from them for Business Use or an Indemnity.

Excess occurred due to incident whilst carrying out the car scheme work are reimbursed for. Any increase in premiums due to loss of no claims bonus is covered by our insurance.

Personal Accident Insurance is not available from over the age of 80 (as this is not obtainable) through us and would need to be supplied by yourself.

We carry out a Driving Licence check every 3 years and are made aware should a Driving Licence be revoked or expired.

Passengers requiring assistance must provide their own.

Two references are required upon application.

New schemes

We’re also currently looking to set up new voluntary schemes in several areas of the county, and are seeking volunteer coordinators and drivers in the following locations:

Rampside
Roosebeck
Newbiggin
Leece
Dendron
Stank

How to join the volunteer team or start a new scheme

If you have some spare time and would like help coordinating or driving in your local area, please get in touch.

Our Volunteer Transport Officer, Katy Wood, helps local people to set up new voluntary driving schemes in their area. Katy can advise on the steps you need to take and give support.