East Durham Community Transport - providing Social Inclusion, Driver Training and Cultural Exchange.
We provide affordable and accessible travel and training solutions to Community Groups, projects, and people in the North East Region and facilitate cultural exchange and promotion of the area to visitors and temporary residents.
We also campaign for improved transport for local people, promote Community Transport and represent the independent Community Transport operators at local, County and Regional levels.
Why the community needs usEast Durham Community Transport affords the people residing in the deprived communities of East Durham and the surrounding areas the opportunity to access social inclusion, places of necessity, activities, healthy lifestyles, education, employment, events, participation and recognition in a safe, secure and regulated manner.
East Durham is a generally deprived area and is the major focus of our charitable aims. It is rated 7th overall in the Mulitple Index of Deprivation and needs our help.
Our impact on the communityOur vehicles provide approximately 50,000 passenger journeys per year and over 150 different Community Groups, Clubs and organisations use our services annually.
Our Travel Club has over 2,000 registered members who enjoy day-trips to afford them an escape from daily isolation and gives them access to markets and exercise. Our Training courses help over 200 people per year improve their driving skills. Uni-Trips will introduce Durham students to many local Community Groups and bring income.
Although we have a bank of young volunteers we can call upon for events and similar activities, we are always looking for people who can drive minibuses on a voluntary basis for our member groups. Full MiDAS training will be given free of charge.
Through our Durham University initiative "Uni-Trips" which promotes cultural exchange through International/National students visiting local Community Groups, we have a number of volunteering opportunities for students including Tour Guides & Publicity