Community Transport Christmas 2015

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It’s December! The Christmas lights are starting to twinkle, advent calenders are being opened, and no longer can anyone say “you can’t talk about Christmas! It’s not even December yet!”

So we’re going to talk about Christmas.

It’s easy to look at the Christmas adverts on the TV and assume that everyone is surrounded by family at this time of the year. But for so many people across the country, this just isn’t possible. There are those who are alone at Christmas, who don’t have anyone to celebrate with or have no way to go out. They’re separated from their loved ones without any way to make the journey.

This is why community transport works across the Christmas period, even on Christmas day to provide those who would otherwise be alone, with family, friendship, company and independence over the holidays.

Volunteers and staff members up and down the country give up their Christmas days to make others’ better; their dedication to providing accessible and inclusive transport is something we want to shout from the rooftops.

Jenny Bright from Green Community Travel, for example, got in touch with us to share the story of a special trip that they made last Christmas:

“We had a passenger who didn’t have any family living locally to him so when his spouse was admitted to hospital it was very difficult for him to visit her.

I know we all think about getting older, but I can’t imagine how difficult it must be after spending every day with someone for 50+ years then having to find ways to see them or not being sure if you can see them!

The gentleman was getting anxious as Christmas was approaching since it would have been the only Christmas they’d spend apart since they met! I mentioned to one of our volunteers, Stuart, that it must be terrible not to see your spouse on Christmas day to which Stuart replied ‘well I can take him, I don’t mind at all! What time would be best for him?’

So, on Christmas morning, Stuart took this gentleman to visit his wife for a couple of hours. I know medical appointments are so important, but not all hospital visits are for an appointment, and this was an incredibly valuable visit.

People’s generosity never ceases to amaze me in this line of work, but I have to say hats off to Stuart for always going the extra mile and for offering to make a couple’s Christmas happier than it might have otherwise been.”

Jenny, Stuart and everyone at Green Community Travel are indicative of how our members go above and beyond for their service users at Christmas, as well as on every other day of the year.

We want to tell more stories like this so please, if you have a Christmas story, tweet us with #communitytransportchristmas and email tom@ctauk.org if you’d like to have it featured on a ‘Community Transport Christmas’ blog.