Community Action Ledbury: Rebuilding Community One Journey at a Time
By Sean Ray, Development Officer for England
As part of a series of conversations with CTA members across England, I recently caught up with Jon from Community Action Ledbury in Herefordshire. While we discussed transport operations and the challenges facing community transport organisations, our conversation quickly moved beyond vehicles and journeys to something even more important: rebuilding community and tackling loneliness.
A community coming together
Community Action Ledbury operates a wide range of services designed to help people stay connected, independent and engaged with their local communities. Through a busy volunteer car service, regular minibus excursions, community lunches and accessible transport, the organisation provides opportunities for people to get out, socialise and access services that might otherwise be out of reach.
More than just a journey
Their monthly minibus programme offers members a choice of trips ranging from local shopping excursions and community meals to day trips further afield. These outings are hugely popular, often filling all 16 available seats and regularly attracting waiting lists. Recent destinations have included Hay-on-Wye, the Severn Valley Railway, Hartlebury Castle and Tintern Abbey, alongside regular visits to Malvern Retail Park and community lunches at local venues.
For Jon, however, transport is only part of the story:
"My primary focus is on rebuilding community and breaking down feelings of loneliness and isolation. Whilst I have no concrete proof, I have a very strong feeling that it is helping improve the quality of people's lives and add a few more years onto their lives."
Meeting the needs of the community
This emphasis on social connection reflects a wider role that community transport plays across England. In Herefordshire alone, community transport services support more than 2,200 users, provide over 18,200 journeys annually and enable access to more than 8,600 healthcare appointments. Services are delivered with the help of 275 volunteers who contribute over 70,000 hours of their time each year.
Jon also spoke passionately about bringing different generations together. In Ledbury, Community Action Ledbury works with people throughout their lives, from children's nurseries to care homes, supporting passengers ranging in age from four to 100 years old.
"One of my passions is bringing together different age groups of people in a world which seems all too keen to separate people into age groups."
It is a reminder that community transport is often about much more than mobility. It creates opportunities for social interaction, reduces isolation, supports independent living and helps people remain active participants in their communities. Across rural areas in particular, where public transport options can be limited, these services can be a vital lifeline. More than 750 Herefordshire community transport users live in rural locations and rely on affordable door-to-door transport to stay connected.
Looking to the future
Like many CTA members, Community Action Ledbury faces challenges around funding, volunteer recruitment and increasing demand. Yet their experience demonstrates the value community transport brings, not just through the journeys delivered, but through the friendships formed, the confidence restored and the sense of belonging created along the way.
As I continue speaking with members across my regions, one theme keeps emerging: community transport is fundamentally about people. Jon's work in Ledbury is a powerful example of how local organisations are helping to rebuild connections and create stronger communities, one journey at a time.
Find out more about Team England’s work here.
If you’d like to discuss opportunities for community transport in your area, get in touch with our England team.