The team began planning the conference five months before the actual event, so seeing it come to fruition a couple of weeks ago was wonderful. It was a gloriously sunny day in Llandudno, and our conference facilities overlooked the promenade and the sea. Who wouldn’t want to have been there! The conference had been a sell-out, and we had a waiting list for people to attend. A total of 55 organisations were represented on the day, including members, stakeholders, and partners, as well as those just at the very beginning of developing their own community transport in Wales.

It is not often that you go to a break out session at a conference and hear about elephants and a nun riding an E bike, but at the CTA Wales Conference breakout session Extending transport Provision through E-Bikes, we heard all about one of the nuns from Skanda Vale Hospice in Wales using an E bike to get around the hospice site and we saw the elephants that live alongside her and her community at the hospice. It was a fantastic illustration of how extending the way we think about CT can have an impact on people and communities that more traditional CT options have not reached.

Volunteers’ Week 2025 is here – a time to celebrate the thousands of dedicated individuals who give their time, energy and compassion to help others through community transport.

At the Community Transport Association (CTA), we know that volunteers are the heart of our sector. Without them, many community transport services simply wouldn’t exist. From door-to-door journeys to helping passengers get to vital appointments, volunteers keep our communities moving – especially those who are isolated, vulnerable or have limited access to public transport.

In our increasingly digital world, the work of charitable organisations often relies on the safe storage and handling of sensitive information. As more and more charities transition to digital platforms for fundraising and outreach, the importance of robust cyber security measures and Charity Cyber Insurance cannot be overstated.

Start thinking about succession planning as soon as possible: that was the key message from operators at our February Community Building Session. 

It can be challenging enough to manage the day-to-day responsibilities of busy services, yet our three speakers all emphasised the need to take a step back and consider potential departures from the staff team and board, and the impact that these could have on the organisation.