Northamptonshire community minibuses a 'godsend' to rural areas

Alice Fuller, left, with Eileen Jarvis says she is "just thankful" for the minibus service

Andy Holmes/BBC Alice Fuller (on left) and Eileen Jarvis — Alice Fuller, left, with Eileen Jarvis says she is "just thankful" for the minibus service

Users of a community transport service set up to connect isolated rural areas say they would be lost without it.

Ability Community Transport was created as a not-for-profit company four years ago and now serves 45 parishes.

One of its first services was from Hackleton, Northamptonshire to nearby Northampton, after the village bus was axed.

Passenger Eileen Jarvis said the service takes "my shopping to the door when we get home and is wonderful".

Chris is one of its volunteer drivers who was inspired to help after seeing his mother benefit from a similar scheme

Andy Meeson/BBC Chris the driver — Chris is one of its volunteer drivers who was inspired to help after seeing his mother benefit from a similar scheme

Fellow bus user Eileen Jarvis said she "didn't know anybody until I came on this bus".

Mrs Jarvis moved to the county to be closer to her son and his wife.

"He's away at work all day and she's a teacher in Northampton and it meant that I was stuck," she said.

Another passenger said: "If you are not able to drive or you haven't got a car... this is a godsend."

The service founders say it "meets the needs of social isolation and loneliness"

Andy Meeson/BBC Minibus — The service founders say it "meets the needs of social isolation and loneliness"

Ability was set up as a community interest company by Lynn and Nigel Hinch, who realised there was a need to connect isolated rural areas left behind by the wider transport network.

It took them six months to set up and went live on 1 January 2019 - within days Hackleton Parish Council was in touch and was about to start a service "the very next day".

It now has seven mini buses running services in south Northamptonshire and north Oxfordshire and is planning to keep on expanding.

Ms Hinch said: "People are registering for this service on a daily basis."