Funding joy for Buchan Dial-a-Community Bus

But vital Buchan service still only funded 59% - The Buchan Observer

BUCHAN Dial-a-Community Bus has received funding from the Scottish Executive's Rural Community Transport Initiative which will enable them to continue their work through to 2011.

The project has received a further three years funding from April 2008 to run a variety of different community transport projects including door to door shopping services, transport to medical facilities, group use services as well as evening transport for young people.

Dial-a-Community Bus (DACB) manager Mrs Rachel Milne was overjoyed at the news; admittng: "Our present funding runs out in spring 2008 and the news from the Rural Community Transport Initiative that they were prepared to continue to fund the project was fantastic - a wonderful Christmas present, and a real testament to the need for our services.

"Our customers have grown to rely on DACB over the past six years and now we can continue to offer an affordable transport alternative to those people who cannot use public transport."

But Rachel added a cautionary note warning: "We have been given 59% of our running costs which is phenomenal but it still means that we have to continue to fundraise to make up the shortfall. We will still be selling raffle tickets, holding coffee mornings and bingo nights so I hope the local community will remain as supportive as they have always been."

Dial-a-Community Bus currently has three minibuses and a volunteer car service provide transport for those clients who may not be able to access public transport due to infirmity, disability, social or rural isolation.

They have grown from a one day a week Maud based shopping service to a major community transport provider in Aberdeenshire.

Dial-a-Community Bus has also works in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council's Public Transport Unit to deliver the A2B Dial-a-Bus services in the Peterhead and Fraserburgh area as part of the Council's A2B Demand Responsive Transport scheme.

They also manage the Shopmobility project from the portacabin in Maiden Street Car park Peterhead, in collaboration with Aberdeenshire Council's social work department.

Rachel is enormously proud of Dial-a-Community Bus's growth, stating: "When the first five day a week shopping service and community group use buses started working in 2000, I don't think anyone realised the potential, but it has grown exponentially over the years and will probably continue to do so.

"The volunteers and staff work extremely hard to ensure that they help as many groups and individuals as possible and I know that the local community are very proud of 'their' buses."

Earlier this year DACB were the focus of a Member's Debate in the Scottish Parliament when local MSP Stewart Stevenson raised a motion to congratulate both DACB and the Banffshire Partnership for providing essential transport services in areas with virtually no public transport.

During that debate the Minister of Transport Tavish Scott paid tribute to DACB when he said:

"It is probably one of most innovative local schemes of its type and one of the best in Scotland."

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Stevenson Takes Maternity Campaign To The Highlands

MSP ON FACT-FINDING VISIT TO BROADFORD UNIT

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson will embark on the next stage of the campaign to secure maternity facilities for Fraserburgh and Banff tomorrow (Tuesday) when he visits the birth unit operated by NHS Highland at Broadford.

Last month, maternity campaigners were delivered a huge boost when Health Minister Andy Kerr refused to endirse NHS Grampian’s plans to axe the units at Fraserburgh and Banff and ordered that the Health Board look at providing ‘birth units’ in the towns along the lines of the successful units in place elsewhere in Scotland.

Mt Stevenson had written to NHS Grampian in April 2006 urging them to look at the success of the units run by NHS Highland, in particular the one at Broadford which had seen a trebling in the number of expectant mothers giving birth in their local area.

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

“The Minister for Health in his response to NHS Grampian sent a clear message that he wanted to see maternity services in some shape or form continue in Fraserburgh and Banff.

“The type of birth units which the Minister referred to have been working very successfully in the NHS Highland area for some years now. I have therefore arranged with NHS Highland to go on a fact-finding mission to visit one of their units and to see for myself what lessons we can learn from them.

“This is a very useful example because it tells us two things. Firstly, it confirms that given the choice, expectant mothers will choose to have their babies locally rather than travel. Secondly, it shows that a revamped service on Skye has led to a trebling of births in the unit. Thirdly, and more importantly in terms of the campaign, it shows that a unit can be viable at a fairly low level – at the Broadford unit on Skye, we are talking about 24 births per year.

“At Fraserburgh and Banff we are talking about annual figures in excess of 50. If the unit in Broadford can be run successfully and safely at that level then there is no reason why that system cannot be deployed in the North-east.”

Stevenson Launches Latest Edition of 'Farming Focus'

Local SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson has launched the latest edition of his regular newsletter for farmers and those involved in the agriculture sector, ‘Farming Focus’.

The newsletter – now into its fourth year – has proved popular with its target readership and regular feedback from readers has allowed Mr Stevenson to raise issues with Ministers at an early stage.

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

“I am delighted at the success of this publication. The idea was originally suggested to me by several farmers who I would meet with annually at the local shows and were keen to receive regular news on the issues affecting their industry at a political level.

“From this initial idea, it has now moved on to being an important tool in not only keeping the sector updated on my activities on its behalf and those of my colleagues, but it allows its readers to feedback their comments on particular issues or to raise new ones with me.”

If you are a farmer or involved in the agriculture industry and would like to receive a copy of Mr Stevenson’s newsletter, please e-mail him at msp@stewartstevenson.net or contact his Constituency Office on 01779 470444.