A fleet of 20 brand new scooters will enable even more rurally isolated people in Suffolk Coastal to reach work or training. Community Action Suffolk is launching the Wheels 2 Work (W2W) scheme in August 2013, thanks to a £100,000 boost in funds from Suffolk County Council.
W2W has provided vital independent transport to over 700 people living in Suffolk’s rural areas. The project is open to anyone over the age of 16, living or working in Suffolk Coastal, without access to either public or private transport who is seeking, or currently in, employment or training.
Kieran, a recent W2W user, says, “this scheme has helped me get to college and my part-time job. Without it, I would not be able to get to both locations due to living in a very rural area with no transport links at all.”
As well as the new scooters from Lings Motorcycles in Ipswich, W2W also provides a safety helmets, gloves, security locks and an armoured jacket. The scheme covers the cost of Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), MoT, road tax, breakdown cover and all maintenance to give clients a considerable helping hand. Successful applicants are offered an insured scooter for a period of up to 6 months.
Project coordinator, Andy Simpson, says, “the lack of public transport in some areas means that many people feel trapped and they do not have sufficient income to afford personal transport. W2W can literally put people on the road to employment and help those who may be working in hard-to-reach places. Many clients have been working shifts that are outside of the public transport timetables”.
If you are interested in loaning a scooter or would like to find out more, please visit our Wheels 2 Work page, or contact Community Action Suffolk on 01473 345400.