Sammy Community Transport

About this provider

Our aim is to reduce isolation, loneliness, both physical and mental ill-health and increase the independence of older and or disabled people on low incomes, through an expanded community transport network that enables them to access easily medical and essential services, and recreational, social and pleasurable activities. We have nine wheelchair accessible minibuses and two mini-vans that have been adapted to accommodate a wheelchair and a seated passenger which is often a friend or relative of the service user acting as their escort. A team of volunteers, who are assessed every three years and issued with a minibus driver permit, are given an initial vehicle familiarisation session by our assessor to drive these eleven vehicles.

Our vehicles are used to transport people to and from appointments (which may be local, for example doctors, dentists or opticians, or at St Richards, Bognor War Memorial hospitals or further away like Worthing or Southlands hospitals, St Mary's at Portsmouth or any of the London hospitals), to local clubs, day centres, to visit friends and relatives, to attend social events or just have a day out!

These vehicles are also available to structured charitable and community groups for hire with or without one of our volunteer drivers. Regular users can choose to select a member of their group to be trained and licenced by our driving specialist and self-drive our vehicles. There are currently one hundred and thirty plus community groups who regularly use our minibuses.

In addition to this we operate a Dial-A-Ride option so our beneficiaries are able to for example access their local towns and supermarkets, visit friends, family etc. helping them to retain a level of independence and remain a part of the community.

We also operate an 'Outings Programme' that enables our beneficiaries to sample the fun things in life, from 'tea by the seaside' to 'dog racing in Brighton'. This is a structured two monthly programme that is benefiary driven.

Furthermore, we run a voluntary community car service enabling us to transport individuals primarily to and from hospitals and any other medical appointments. This service is very important and we now have thirty plus volunteers who, using their own vehicles, transport service users.

WE WILL TAKE YOU WHERE EVER YOU NEED OR DESIRE TO GO