• conneCTing England Programme

The CTA conneCTing programme aims to bring together community transport (CT) within England to work collectively and collaboratively with partners. Through the regional forums, CTA hopes to promote better understanding and communication between CT stakeholders in England and to develop practical solutions to the challenges faced by community transport.

A key theme through all the feedback we have had is the important role of the CTA in connecting and promoting the sector, sharing good practices, and ensuring that CT has the right visibility with stakeholders to retain and attract the investment it needs to be sustainable.    

The intended outcomes of the work are to:  

  • Share learning and good practice with others. 
  • Raise the profile of CT with stakeholders.  
  • Improve the relationship between the CT sector and stakeholders. 
  • Increase joint working and improved service design between the CT sector and stakeholders. 
  • Be able to guide and influence policy regionally and nationally. 
  • Ensure a connected and strong voice for community transport.  

As part of the ConneCTing initiative, action-led forums have been established to offer a platform for local operators to express their opinions at the national level to entities like the central government and NHS England. Furthermore, it is crucial for local forums to receive input from regional and national bodies to be assured that their feedback is making an impact.

The CTA has introduced 11 regional forums that will play a central role in the ConneCTing initiative. These forums are not just a platform for exchanging ideas or holding debates but will also have a set of region-specific action items that they will focus on to establish and maintain connectivity in their respective areas. The CTA will oversee this work and prioritise the most important actions. Additionally, we will disseminate the knowledge and insights gained through this process across England.

Certain topics hold significance for all regions, and these issues will be tackled by the England Forum. This group will comprise representatives from each of the regional forums and will collaborate at the national level to address significant challenges impacting the sector.

Connecting Regionally

The CTA has established 11 forum areas in England.  In order to connect with the regional transport structures we have aligned with the geographies of the Sub National Transport Bodies.

These will be confirmed at the next meeting but based on the initial meeting CTA is proposing the first collaborative topics for each region will be:

North West

Focus on how CT can connect into Health systems more effectively.

Shared Booking Platforms – including CT.

North East

Clean Air Zones and CT, influencing locally and how CT can be engaged and ready.

Yorkshire & The Humber

Connecting CT and Highways together to improve road planning.

East Midlands

Shared Booking Platforms – including CT

Considering CT needs in EV infrastructure.

West Midlands

Connecting with Highways and road maintenance.

Considering CT needs in EV infrastructure.

East England

The role of CT in supporting rural transport.

South Central

 Working with local funders to support recognition of CT.

Development of a vehicle guide to support purchasing and service design.

London

Development of a vehicle guide to support purchasing and service design.

ULEZ and CT, influencing locally and how CT can be engaged and ready.

South East

Working with local funders to support recognition of CT.

Reviewing the role of CT in local DRT services.

South West Gateway

 Working with local funders to support recognition of CT.

South West Peninsula

 TBC.

Connecting England

The England forum will come together to collaborative work on topics and issues that are raised by 3 or more of the regional forums.

This forum is important in ensuring that there is a strong voice for community transport within England.

Book here for the next England Forum

Membership of the forum

During the first year of the conneCTing programme the forum meetings will be open to all attendees of the regional forums.

Following the first year this will be reviewed with the potential that the England forum will have a core membership with representatives from each of the regional forums.

12 National Priorities

Volunteer recruitment and retention. Staff recruitment and retention. Influencing legislation and regulations.
Research into the Sector – Understanding of the impact and value that CT brings.

Ensuring there is wide scale promotion of CT to public and stakeholders.

 Developing and sharing a range of case studies and examples of good practice.
Improving the relationship and connections with the Health Sector – in particular Non-emergency. Social Value and contracting, how to influence and shape local and national contracting to recognise social value for CT. Electric vehicles and the infrastructure required.
Improving the relationship and connections into social care and demonstrating the impact CT has. Looking to the future for volunteer/community car schemes.  How we can ensure they are sustainable. Influencing and shaping funding for the sector regionally and nationally.

In May 2023 the England Forum proposed that the following were the first 4 areas that CTA and the forum would focus on.

  • Funding for the Sector
  • Volunteer Recruitment and Retention
  • Wide scale promotion of CT to public and stakeholders
  • Influencing legislation and regulations