9th September 2025
Four organisations are to share £64,572 to help them to provide vital community transport in Oxfordshire.
Oxfordshire County Council is awarding the grants, ranging from £500 to £36,000, to fund new routes and services, vehicle running costs, and drivers’ expenses.
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “Oxfordshire’s community transport sector is a lifeline to many people who don’t drive or don’t have a car.
“The grants will make a big difference to all four organisations and help them to continue the great work they are doing. We are extremely grateful for all the work they and other community transport groups do to make life easier for residents.”
The recipients, who will receive their grants over between one and five years to support continuation of their schemes are Daybreak Oxford, Thame Senior Friendship Centre, Filkins & Broughton Poggs volunteer doctor and hospital car service, and Wallingford Town Council.
The Wallingford project, in association with Going Forward Buses, is already in operation, with the new 131 town bus service going live from 1 September.
Daybreak Oxford, which transports people with dementia to and from day centres and takes the older population on shopping trips, received £25,072 to provide new provision in areas of the city not previously served.
Community transport is part of the voluntary sector and plays a key role in filling gaps in service where public transport is not available. It helps provide safe, accessible, cost effective, flexible transport run by the community for the community in rural and urban areas.
Community transport can include car clubs, community minibuses, dial-a-ride, lift shares, taxi shares and voluntary car schemes.
Some groups offer services just for their members, while others are open to the public. They can take disabled people to work, children to school, sick people to healthcare and older people to the shops. Some run local bus routes and provide transport for a wide range of clubs and other groups.
Last month, the Villager Community Bus Services unveiled a new electric minibus, which was part funded by £50,000 awarded in 2024’s round of grants.
It runs the Chippy Shuttle, an hourly, weekday service connecting residential areas in Chipping Norton with town centre shops, services and the out of town health centre.
It has been running for nine years and provides an essential service for residents who have mobility problems and no access to their own transport. The new electric minibus replaces its previous diesel vehicle.
Keith Gowing, Chairman of the Villager Community Bus Services, said: “Our new battery powered bus enables us to continue providing the shuttle service to our many loyal customers whilst reducing our impact on the environment in terms of reduced carbon emissions, air pollution and vehicle noise.
“We could not have afforded this without the help of Oxfordshire County Council.”
The council supports the development of not for profit community transport groups and services.
Small start-up grants to help groups in their development are available, while the council can also help with the cost of training volunteers as minibus and passenger assistants.
More information is available on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.
