Jill Davies Rural Wisdom (Aberfeldy) Development Worker Unit 3.10, The Whisky Bond 2 Dawson Road, Glasgow, G4 9SS www.otbds.org

Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire Leeswood, North Wales The Rural Wisdom Project works with rural communities, to create opportunities for older people to shape their community, to make it work better for them and the other people who live there. Highland Perthshire Brechin and Edzell Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire Leeswood, North Wales Milford Haven, South Wales

Transport issues … From Get Together events.. Buses don’t connect up to other services. There can sometimes be confusion around volunteer driver insurance policies. As money is a main issue, pushing for more investment into community transport is important. Community transport cannot solve the whole transport problem – some of this must be addressed by local bus services. Increasing demand for bus transport would help and would allow for more services to be put on. Transport issues …

Brechin and Edzell Transport issues… Brechin is built on a hill. The buses only go to the bottom of the hills. The volunteer transport service is in abeyance. There is a lack of printed bus timetables. They are online, however, not everyone has access to the internet. More and more NHS services are centralised to Dundee meaning long journeys to access them.

Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire

Highland Perthshire The Rural Wisdom Highland Perthshire area stretches from Kinloch Rannoch to Amulree, Logierait to Killin. The whole area has the highest designation for fuel poverty. There is a high percentage of older people in this area, around 24% of the population as opposed to 19% for Perth and Kinross. The majority of the area ranks as a geographic access deprived area by SIMD. The area has low wages and high house prices.

Living in Highland Perthshire The main destinations for social activities are Aberfeldy and Kinloch Rannoch. Originally the Post Bus carried people and provisions around the countryside. Both have a wide range of opportunities to volunteer or get involved in activities. Kinloch Rannoch has good bus connections to Pitlochry and can access Fort William. This is via the Demand Responsive Transport scheme run through Perth and Kinross Council. Kinloch Rannoch has no Public transport provision for getting to Aberfeldy. Aberfeldy is a retail destination for many outlying areas.

Local area issues Tourism A lack of volunteers Current transport provision A lack of housing for older people to relocate to when they can’t drive any more. Local area issues

Working with the Public Transport Unit at Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) to increase use of the bus that is there. Approaching tourism businesses to establish their needs and what they can offer. Connecting the community Time Bank with any unused capacity in the tourism sector. Liaising with the small businesses to attract people to use the bus, with discounts/special offers. Running an event in late October to bring together stakeholders to explore partnerships and other transport models. Working with the Highland Perthshire Action Partnership on transport opportunities. Working with a community group to bring food to people through the village halls. What are we doing…

What works in other areas? Pembrokeshire Association of Community Transport Organisations offer a range of options from scooters to boost employment opportunities, bus buddies, DRT and various car schemes. www.pacto.org.uk Dundee offers the ‘Blether Bus’. It helps get people out for appointments, shopping or just go for a hurl. (reducing social isolation) www.dundeecity.gov.uk Community transport SCIOs raising funds to operate their own service bus, for example, Auchterarder Community Bus Group. See Facebook for more details.

How can NTS2 meet the needs of rural areas? Support regional community transport co-ordinators to liaise with all sectors of the community. Grants for community groups to fill the gaps. This is to invest in vehicles and cover operating costs. Clear printed timetables should be part of the tender contract. Support creative ways (or special arrangements) for businesses to comply with the rules. Allow flexibility in the rules for rural areas, not everyone lives on the roadside.

Thank you for listening The Rural Wisdom Project will produce printed materials on new ways of working for distribution throughout the UK. The next phase is to expand to other areas. For more information, please visit our website at www.ruralwisdom.org Thank you for listening