South West Ross Community Car Scheme
SWRCCS News and Update
November 2024
SWRCCS Awarded NHS Highland Funding for 3 years
SWRCCS has been successful in its application to NHS Highland for a further 3 years. This will support SWRCCS' work to get people to medical appointments within and outwith the area, to deliver prescriptions locally and ensure that the organisation is in a fit and healthy state to continue its work. Thanks to all involved.
March 2024
SWRCCS Awarded Highland Council Funding for 3 years
SWRCCS has been awarded Community Transport Grant funding for another 3 years meaning that we can continue to do what we do best! There are also 2 new pilot projects that are going to be up and running with our own dedicated wheelchair accessible vehicle based in Torridon to take people to where they want to be. There is also a grant scheme for larger groups so that they can access funding to hire larger vehicles such as coaches or minibuses to enable them to attend events and activities further afield. So exciting times...
New Job Role click on title for all documents
As part of this funding we are pleased to be able to offer some additional employemtn and are currently advertising for an Administrator part time (6 hours a week). If you would like to see further details then click here for an advert, job spec and application form. The closing date is 18 April so do get your applications in if you are interested.
November 2023
SWRCCS Awarded Kings Award for Volunteering
SWRCCS has been awarded the Kings Award for Volunteering. This is a great recognition of the huge contribution that all of you make to our communities in getting people to where they need to be... be it as a telephonist, driver or board member so please give yourself a well deserved and well earned pat on the back. The value of volunteering in general but specifically for SWRCCS, has never been greater as all the users of the car scheme would agree.
Interesting to look at the map of awardees and we certainly stand out!
Here is a press release that has gone out and hope you can join us at the AGM on Tuesday 28 November to celebrate together.
Well done, fantastic effort all round!
September 2023
SWRCCS Becomes a SCIO
On 22 September, 2023 South Wes Ross Communtiy Car Scheme became a SCIO with an updated constitution and structure. Thanks to all those whose hard work has made this happen.
Highland Hospice & Connecting Carers information events
Dear All,
We are supporting Highland Hospice and Connecting Carers to hold information events in the area (Lochcarron 4/10 at 11am; Torridon 4/10 at 7pm; Applecross 5/10 at 11am). Representatives from these organisations will attend for question and answers on what they provide and how to access their services.
If you can help publicise these events in the local community please feel free to print off and display on noticeboards and share with your friends, networks and colleagues so we can get as many people along as possible. Printed copies are available from me on request.
I hope that you are able to attend one of the events and look forward to seeing you there.
Peter
ADVERT CAN BE FOUND BY CLICKING HERE
Please publicise as much as you can!
May 2023
Extraordinary General Meeting, 6 July at Lochcarron Village Hall
We are holding an EGM on 6 July at 7pm to look at transferring our legal status to become a Scottish Incorporated Charitable Organisation (SCIO). This means adopting a new updated constitution and gives all members a chance to have their say, so do come along. The papers for the EGM can be found here.
Dec 2022
Report from Community Transport Association
'More than a Minibus' is a report about the state of community transport in Scotland.
Find the report here
Nov 2022
Notice of Annual General Meeting
SWRCCS Annual General Meeting will be held at Shieldaig Village Hall on 2 November at 6:30pm. This will be followed by a social event for volunteers and users of the scheme to celebrate the achievements of the past couple of years.
ALL WELCOME
A notice to publicise the GM can be found here
May 2022
CTA Campaign for increase in volunteer mileage rates
SWRCCS have joined a campaign led by the Community Transport Association, to lobby the UK government and HMRC to increase the mileage rate currently permitted to pay volunteers for use of their own cars. The current rates were increased in 2012 and have remained static since then despite the RAC saying that motoring costs have increased at least 25% over that period. SWRCCS have written to Ian Blackford MP and Maree Todd MSP to ask them to support the campaign in both Westminster and Holyrood. More details about the campaign can be found here.
May 2021
Lord Lieutenant's Commendation
Received a lovely commendation from the Lord Lieutenant of Ross & Cromarty in
recognition for all the valuable work done by our volunteers over the Covid 19
pandemic. Our volunteers have been delivering prescriptions, getting people to
hospital and other medical appointments and telephoning people to check they
are OK and don't need anything.
Great to get recognition and appreciation for the work we are doing from them.
Need to celebrate this and other achievements made over the year.
April 2021
Local Hero Award from Torridon & Kinlochewe Community Council
Here's what they said....
Thanks again to everyone who has nominated someone for an award. As we take our next steps out of lockdown here is the final bumper edition of local hero awards.
The next award is for the South West Ross Community Car Scheme. Throughout the last 12 months the volunteers have undertaken prescription deliveries, hospital transport and made care calls to elderly residents who live alone. Vital work to help the community get through a difficult year. The scheme covers a larger area than TKCC but we didn't want to draw lines when saying our thank yous, so when all the team are finally able to all meet up, there will be a little something from us to say thank you. Please keep up the good work.
Thanks to everyone involved and hoping to share the chocolates with you all soon!
January 2021
Trustee Board recruitment
We’re looking for additional Trustee Board Members
The South West Ross Community Car Scheme provides a vital transport service to help residents to get to medical appointments or delivering prescriptions to their door. We use a number of local volunteer drivers and telephonists who give up their time to deliver the service.
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You could make a difference by giving your skills and experience to add to the Board of Trustees
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You could get to know more people in the community and be involved in the development and continuation of this crucial service
If you feel you could contribute then please get in touch for more information or access the information on our website.
For more information call our Coordinator on 01520755737 email him at swrc-carscheme@btconnect.com
More information about the role can be found here including contact details for current Trustee who could answer questions or tell you what the role is like for them.
May 2020
What we are doing
Prescription Runs
In cooperation with the local medical practices we are currently doing the following prescription runs:-
o From Lochcarron Medical Practice Monday to Thursday deliveries to most areas
▪ Strathcarron / Achnashellach
▪ Church St, Slumbay, North Strome, Ardaneaskan
▪ Main Street, Murray Square, Park Road, Kielburn Crescent
▪ Kirkton, Sage Terrace
▪ Kishorn – Friday
o from Torridon Medical Practice
▪ Torridon, Inveralligin, Alligin and Diabaig – Tuesday
▪ Shieldaig – Wednesday
▪ Kinlochewe – Friday o From Applecross Medical Practice
▪ Applecross and surrounding area Fridays
If you need a prescription delivering simply call the medical practice and ask for it to be delivered through the car scheme.
If you are having difficulties getting food delivered, our local shops are doing a fantastic job delivering to people and we have been in touch with them all offering our support if they need it.
Keeping in touch with People
Our telephonists are keeping in touch with people who want a regular call. At the moment it is our previous users who are getting the phone calls but if you are self-isolating and feel you could do with a regular check up call then let us know (01445731436) and we can add you to the list. Some of the local resilience groups are also offering this service so do check with them too.
Research into other services
If you are finding it difficult to find a service or someone to do something (like fix a faulty boiler or mend a leaking tap) then you can ask one of our telephonists to do some research on your behalf, Simply phone our booking line on 01445791436 and talk to our telephonist.
However we must stress that this is not a recommendation of any particular service from SWRCCS but only what we have found out about services currently available.
If anyone has ideas about what else we could be doing to support the community we would love to hear from you.
Volunteer Volunteers Volunteers!!!
We have had a fantastic response from people in the communities we serve volunteering to drive or act as telephonists. Many of our original volunteers are in the ‘vulnerable groups’ and so have had to withdraw their services for the time being (very frustrating for some!) so this new influx of volunteers is very welcome. All our volunteers receive guidance on deliveries and have access to sanitiser, disposable gloves, SWRCCS car sticker and an emergency card to support them to make the deliveries in as safe a way as possible. We currently have 24 new volunteers all waiting to help in whatever way they can.
If you would like to volunteer too email Peter at coordinator@swrc-carscheme.co.uk
