What is the Travel for All Project ?
Hampshire County Council (HCC) would like to support residents to reduce loneliness and isolation as some older residents (aged 65+) may currently be finding it difficult to stay connected due to difficulties using public transport.
They understand that the impacts of the COVID – 19 pandemic have left some residents with reservations in using public transport again and some residents may have only stopped shielding within the last few months . This has resulted in poorer activity levels, lack of access to key services and a decline in their mental health.
The project aims to make the best use of public transport opportunities to support older residents in the Andover and the Waterside area of the New Forest , to travel around Hampshire with greater ease, to broaden their travel horizons, to increase their travel confidence and to engage with the in community. Key aims are to assist residents to make journeys they would have otherwise not made independently via public transport and gain useful feedback to review and develop local transport services . The project also hopes to reinvigorate the local economy and links to the community by highlighting opportunities to visit local shops and town centres and helping residents rediscover nearby social opportunities .
Through the Travel for All project , we want to support residents aged 65+ in Hampshire by identifying and addressing barriers to using public transport services, to get people active and to connect with their community and key services.
To successfully carry out this exciting and innovative project, we need local people at the heart of this project as volunteers. Please note, you must be 18 years and over to apply.
- What would volunteering for the Travel for All project involve?
- Do you have good communication and listening skills?
- Do you have the ability to deliver a compassionate, comfortable experience to people?
- Do you have the interest and enthusiasm for working with older adults in the community and want to make a positive difference to their lives?
If yes, then volunteering for the Travel for All project could be for you
Volunteers would be directly engaging with vulnerable adults and will receive bespoke training . (This is envisaged to be of a virtual nature – we will endeavour to deliver face – to – face sessions only if it is safe to do so) .Activities would require some independent engagement with residents , with support and guidance from project coordinators that will support the key project aims mentioned above .
Volunteers will contact people who have been referred to the service, to arrange to meet them to help find out more about what social activities they are interested in and plan how they could get to them using public and community transport. This will involve listening to their needs, identifying what difficulties they may face in travelling and helping them find suitable routes and services.
You do not need previous experience with in transport and travel. Key skills they are looking for is your ability to deliver a compassionate, comfortable experience to people and an interest and enthusiasm for working with over – 65s in the community . Other skills may include good communication and listening, organisation and maintaining records of feedback, patience and sensitivity and a commitment to the volunteer shift and induction training. The ability to work confidently on your own initiative and know when to seek help and support, as well as an understanding of the need to observe confidentiality and safety measures in informal settings are also useful.
Volunteers may need to provide a full UK Driving Licence and access to a car to visit residents or use public transport.
This project has been commissioned by HCC and South Western Railway (SWR). Atkins is a multinational design, engineering, and project management consultancy , that will deliver this project on behalf of HCC and SWR.
They are looking for volunteers who can commit to attending initial training in September 2021, and then volunteering for a minimum of 20 hours for the initial phase of the project from mid – October – December 2021.
The project is expected to run until March 2023, however, a commitment for the full time period is not needed.
To find out more email travelforall@atkinsglobal.com
