Our aim is to provide a number of services and activities delivered by volunteers to help within the hospital community.
It is the engine of the charity's actions in the community, once again ‘making a difference’. Almost wholly delivered by volunteers and coordinated by our office staff, it aims to provide services that give a necessary link to other medical providers or engage with the less able, isolated and often elderly, members of our community.
Volunteer to support our transport services
Could you offer a few hours a week?
We are always looking to recruit new volunteers to drive clients to medical appointments, drive our minibus, or act as escort on the minibus, supporting the passengers.
Why not give the Community Services Manager, Lisa a call on 01258 450095 to have an informal chat and find out how volunteering might work for you.
Learn More
The services we provide include:
Transport to Medical Appointments
This volunteer delivered service enables local people to attend hospital and other medical appointments including dentists, opticians, chiropody and clinical care that is not always available within Blandford. All requests to access the service must come via the patient’s GP. The GP has a set of referral criteria to adhere to to make sure the service is used correctly.
If you think this service could help you please speak to your GP in the first instance or call us on 01258 450095 for more information.
Medical Appointments - Number of journeys by month (March 2023):
31
Dorchester
0
Poole
9
Salisbury
6
Bournemouth
31
Other
Medical Appointments - Number of journeys by year (1 April 2022 - 31 Mar 2023):
319
Dorchester
99
Poole
48
Salisbury
84
Bournemouth
375
Other
Weekly Shopping Bus
The shopping bus currently runs every Thursday morning and afternoon and on a Friday morning. There is limited availability but we keep a waiting list so you can be added as soon as a space becomes available. We go to both Tesco and Morrisons in Blandford Forum.
Please Note This service is for those who would find it difficult to get to a supermarket, whether due to lack of transport or public transport or who have no family members to assist them. Each client needs to be able to go around a supermarket with a reasonable level of independence. Both the driver and the escort will assist you on and off the bus and carry your shopping into your house, if required.
Social Trips and Outings
We aim to make a difference by providing social outings and shopping trips for groups as part of the charity’s efforts to ward off isolation and loneliness especially among the elderly in our community. People who are (or are in danger of becoming) isolated due to a health-related condition are offered this volunteer delivered service.
Once referred by their GP or other health professional a client will then be visited at home by the Community Services Coordinator to ascertain their mobility and to see if they require any further assistance to avail themselves of our services.