By Frances Campbell, Director for Northern Ireland

Community Transport Week begins with welcome news for Northern Ireland: Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has announced £1 million in capital funding to help community transport providers replace ageing vehicles.

The investment will enable each of the 13 providers to purchase a new minibus, replacing 13 of the 27 vehicles identified as the highest priority based on their age, mileage and condition.

A transport network is only accessible when every stage of the journey is accessible. For Sharon Gordon, the biggest barrier is not boarding a bus or train, but safely reaching the point where her journey starts.

Sharon is blind and lives in a rural area where the nearest bus stop is 1.2 miles from her home and the nearest train station is four miles away. With no continuous footpath, neither can be reached safely or independently. Although bus and rail services are available, they remain effectively inaccessible to Sharon without additional support.

Community Transport plays a vital role in supporting Deaf and disabled passengers to make everyday journey. Through essential door-to-door services, community transport organisations help people stay connected and involved in their communities, reducing isolation and removing barriers to participation.

For many passengers, these journeys are about far more than transport alone. They provide independence, connection, and the opportunity to stay involved in community life.

Angela’s story is one example of the difference accessible transport can make.

For many Deaf and disabled people living in rural communities, opportunities can still remain out of reach without accessible transport. Community transport services help bridge that gap, providing reliable, door-to-door journeys that enable people to stay connected, independent, and involved in everyday community life.

We continue our series of CT24 The Voice of the Passenger Conference reflections with a very special blog. Lesley-Ann Millar, Manager at South Antrim Community Transport shares a heart-warming and insightful story on how CT has shaped her professional and personal life.