CTA Members Awarded MBE

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In March, we wrote about Edwina Edwards, Chief Executive of Bakewell and Eyam Community Transport who was awarded an MBE for her services to the Derbyshire community. We are very pleased to announce that in the Queen’s 90^th Birthday Honours, another two members of the Community Transport Association were recognised for their work with an MBE: Elizabeth Bell, Vice Chair of South Antrim Community Transport, and Anna Whitty, CEO of ECT Charity.

Elizabeth Bell is Vice Chair of South Antrim Community Transport and was awarded an MBE for voluntary service to community transport. South Antrim Community Transport is a CTA member based in Ballyclare, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland, who provides accessible and affordable transport to reduce the level of social isolation in their local community.

Elizabeth said: “I see this MBE as a team effort! There’s no one here who works by themselves: we’re an excellent team so this isn’t just an honour for me, it’s an honour for everyone! You get to know, and help, so many people through running rural transport, and we’ve built this organisation up from small beginnings so it really does mean a lot. My family is very pleased as well, my nephew sent me a card saying: ‘Aunt Liz, we always know you were fab, it just took the Queen a little longer to realise!’”

Also receiving an MBE is Anna Whitty, CEO of ECT Charity. ECT Charity provide community transport services in Ealing, Dorset, Cornwall and Cheshire and were involved in providing accessible transport to the Invictus Games, the 2015 Rugby World Cup and the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic games.

Anna said that she was “thrilled at this recognition for the work of ECT Charity- it is so important to me that the legacy from our achievements at London 2012 continues, and that we can show why community transport matters in our local communities and on a national level.

“The reason we do so well is because the whole team is focused on fulfilling the needs of each individual passenger- this is at the heart of our approach and the reason why community transport itself is so important to our communities.”

Bill Freeman, Chief Executive of the Community Transport Association said: “I want to congratulate Elizabeth and Anna on their honours. It is evident that they are both dedicated individuals who work with committed teams, ensuring that their organisations thrive and are able to provide vital accessible and inclusive transport services to those in their communities.

“It’s always wonderful to see our hard working members getting this sort of recognition, and it’s further evidence that the work of our members is being recognised at the very top.”

Congratulations to Elizabeth Bell and Anna Whitty from all of us at the Community Transport Association.