Save Our Community Transport Service – Walter’s story

Walter is 91 and uses our Connect Call & Go service twice a week to visit his wife living in a care home.

One of our drivers Betty picks him up from his home in Denmead and takes him to the care home in Horndean where the journey, already difficult for a 91-year-old with mobility issues, is too expensive to be made by private car hire. With no public bus service nearby, Walter relies on Connect Call & Go to get out and about and Community First are than happy to support him.

Walter’s daughter Pat said: “Although my dad has only been using the service for three months it has been a godsend for him.

I didn’t know about Community First a few months ago and found Call & Go through Hampshire County Council’s Adult Services database as my dad was desperate. It’s fantastic to have access to this support from such a lovely organisation.

Dad gets on so well with the staff, especially his driver Betty. She’s kind and regularly supplies him with marrow and blackberries! The kindness they’ve shown goes a long way and it’s so important for people like my dad, who often don’t go out and socialise, to speak to people.”

Without Connect Call & Go, Pat worries that Walter would not be able to visit her mum. “I help my mum in care among other things and without Community First I would really struggle to do it all.”

“So many people like my dad are desperate and vulnerable – not only the elderly but disabled too. I hope we will be able to continue using this service as it has made such a difference to my dad’s happiness.”

Betty, Walter’s driver, said: “The people that use this service are more like family and I go out of my way to make sure they get to where they need to be.”

Find out more about our Connect transport services

With proposed upcoming budget cuts to Hampshire’s community transport schemes, Community First has launched our Save Our Service campaign. As part of this, we’d like your feedback to show the impact of our service and how it affects your way of life or someone you know.

To support our Save our Service campaign, we encourage you to write a letter to your County Councillor or MP, and share how you (or a loved one) will be impacted by the proposed cuts or you can let us know by contacting us at support@cfirst.org.uk.

You can also fill out our online Save Our Service Feedback Form