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.

By Abi Shotter, Development Officer for England

The Princess of Wales visited West Sussex Minibus, joining passengers on board one of their services before spending time at Pulborough's weekly lunch club.

The visit provided a unique opportunity for Her Royal Highness to see first-hand the life changing impact of community transport and the vital role it plays in helping people remain connected to their communities.

Meaningful community engagement can help community transport organisations understand what people really need, identify gaps in existing services and make informed decisions about the future.

At our latest Connect & Learn session, we explored different approaches to community engagement, with insights from CTA’s own research and a practical example from Island of Hoy Development Trust in Orkney.

By Lara Henderson, Development Manager for Scotland

At CTA, we’re proud to work in partnership with our members to identify and address the challenges they face while delivering essential Community Transport services across the UK.