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8.
April
2020.
Dial-A-Ride Denbighshire gears up to support the vulnerable during Coronavirus
Press release / Thursday April 9th 

***IMAGE ATTACHED - Caption in notes to editors below***

  

Dial-A-Ride Denbighshire gears up to support local communities during Coronavirus lockdown

 

Community transport provider offering deliveries and transport for vulnerable and elderly


Dial-A-Ride Denbighshire is offering support to individuals who are elderly, vulnerable or unable to access transport during the Coronavirus lockdown. 

 

The community transport provider, based in Rhyl, usually provides accessible, door-to-door transport for people of all ages who find it difficult or impossible to access conventional public transport. With the public now being advised against all non-urgent travel, and the over 70s advised to self-isolate to reduce their infection risk, Dial-A-Ride has stepped up to provide vital community support. 

 

Despite facing its own challenges, including having to furlough some staff members, the organisation is now offering a ‘shop and drop’ service for those that can’t get to shops or organise online deliveries. They are also available to collect prescriptions and any other medical supplies, which they will deliver safely to the doorstep while adhering to the Government’s social distancing guidelines. These services are being made available to anybody in Denbighshire, free of charge, for the duration of the crisis. 

 

Dial-A-Ride Denbighshire Manager Beverley Mather said:

 

“Dial-A-Ride was born out of a community need for reliable transport, and during these challenging times, we want to be there for anybody that needs a helping hand. As a membership organisation, we are close to the communities we serve and have a good feel for what people need right now. 

 

“We know that this is a frightening, isolating time for many people, particularly those with limited mobility or support networks. Whether it’s delivering food, medicine, or just being available for a chat, we are pulling out all the stops to help as many people as we can as quickly as we can.

 

“To keep our services running we usually make a small charge for journeys, so our income has virtually dried up overnight. But I firmly believe this is a time for everybody in the community to pull together and do what they can, and we are determined to do our bit. We hope by offering our transport and drivers to help get vital supplies to people when they need them the most, we can help people who can’t access transport and perhaps don’t have a support network.

 

“We are crowdfunding on our Facebook page to help fund our services during this time, and the generosity of the people of Denbighshire has blown us away – we raised over £150 on our first day alone.”

 

Commenting on Dial-A-Ride’s efforts, Director of the Community Transport Association in Wales Christine Boston said:

 

“This is a fantastic example of the community transport sector rising to the challenge of the Coronavirus crisis through innovation, generosity and resilience. We are so inspired by the way Dial-A-Ride has stepped in to meet the needs of local communities in Denbighshire, demonstrating its commitment to the people it was established to serve.”

 

Beverley Mather continued:

 

“I would encourage anybody that needs help or is worried about a neighbour or relative to contact us on 01745 344222 or visit our website at www.dialaridedenbighshire.org, and we will do all we can to help. We want to reassure people that nobody has to face this situation alone.”

 

ENDS

 

Caption, L-R: 

 

Dial-A-Ride Denbighshire team Carole Marks, Gareth Roberts, David Gelson, Beverley Mather, Antony Henman, David Hatch and Dawson Pierce.

 

For further information, please contact Sara Robinson on sara@sararobinsoncomms.co.uk or 07720 634537.