Bridgend Association of Voluntary Organisations

BAVO's networks and forums offer local groups an opportunity to meet with other organisations, to share ideas and concerns, to develop interagency partnerships and to agree voluntary sector standpoints to take forward into consultation with statutory and other bodies.

BAVO supports the following networks and forums:

Bridgend Association of Voluntary OrganisationsCommunity Transport Forum

New BAVO Community Transport Development Officer

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, my name is Mike Hurst and I have recently been appointed on a part time basis to the post of Community Transport (CT) Development Officer with the Bridgend Association of Volunteer Organisations (BAVO).

The role of this post is wide, varied and challenging, buts its principal aim is to raise and improve the profile of CT within the Bridgend County Borough (BCB) area.

Transport and access to services is a key issue for many individuals and communities in rural and urban areas of SE Wales. Whilst conventional bus services meet the needs of many people, there is a substantial minority who need a more specialised or individual service, for example people with disabilities or people who live in outlying or remote rural areas who still need access to services such as healthcare, shopping and employment. CT and other flexible or ‘demand responsive’ transport services exist to meet their needs.

CT schemes encourage alternative transport solutions to reduce the use of the car and provide a range of transport services to individuals, community groups and voluntary organisations. ‘Joined up’ schemes promote social inclusion and help rural communities' access employment, retail, health & care facilities, education, leisure and social activities and operate using conventional or wheelchair accessible minibuses and cars. They provide accessible, safe, affordable and professional transport services to local communities, often using minibuses, but also with vehicles both smaller (such as people carriers) and larger (such as coaches).

The primary objective of any CT service must include the ability to increase accessibility, widen travel choice and support wider travel opportunities for all potential users of CT services in the BCB area.

BCB is however by its very nature a wide and geographically varied County where some areas are well served by commercial transport options and opportunities, and some areas because of a variety of reasons, poorly served.

Therefore to raise the profile of CT in the area, BAVO will facilitate the creation of a Passenger Transport Forum which will be made up of groups who have transport issues and concerns, and where these issues can be raised for discussion.

As you may be aware, there is only one established provider of existing CT services in the county, and a principal aim of the forum will be to assist those groups that wish to purchase vehicles for the benefit of their own group and to set up their own CT scheme.

In an attempt to identify shortfalls and requirements for CT in the BCB please take a couple of minutes to complete and return the ‘Needs Questionnaire’ by 28th May 2010.

Download the Needs Questionnaire here.