'Lifeline' Wellibus service must be saved

One of the county’s most relied upon transport services is facing an uncertain future – with any closure potentially isolating dozens of people from receiving essential travel.

Picking up residents of Finedon, Earls Barton, Wellingborough, Isham, and Overstone, among others, the Wellibus is often not just the most convenient and cost-effective method of transport for some, but in many cases it is the only way for the passengers to get around.

Their lack of available funds isn’t enough to continue offering the same level of excellent service and its drivers say that some passengers have said ‘become a member of the family’.

One of the drivers, Karen, said: “The service definitely needs saving. You can’t get a taxi to Rushden or Northampton for that (the Wellibus £30 annual fee).”

Our reporter visited and spoke to drivers who will often spend the day attending to the needs of passengers. Offering assistance getting on and off the bus, carrying shopping and effortlessly manoeuvring the Mercedes Benz Sprinter bus through near-impossible tight side streets make up most days, as delivering passengers to the places they need and home safely again remains their primary concern. Currently the Wellibus is down to just four drivers, and Shire Community Services is on the lookout for volunteers to drive for the organisation’s medical car service that helps vulnerable people access GP appointments when they otherwise wouldn’t have had the means to get there.

Bus services in Northamptonshire have been subject to change recently, including the upheaval or removal of routes such as Service 49 being replaced by X46 and Service 2A 2B, 2C being withdrawn entirely. This may not have impacted those who don’t rely on public transport, but vulnerable people who are unable to use personal vehicles are caught in the crossfire. The Wellibus is currently an alternative at a time when options are shrinking.

On board, passengers fumble through small talk about new year festivities or recent football results, gaining a hearty dose of much-needed conversation and social interaction while they get to the places they need to be. For some it’s the most time they’ll spend in company all week, and it is clear that the Wellibus is more than just a means to get around. It’s a community, and one that would be severely fractured should the service no longer be available.

One service user said: “We would be lost without it.”

Rachael Underwood, transport coordinator and marketing manager for the Wellibus and Shire Community Services said: “Eighty per cent of our passengers, when they come out on the Wellibus and they come and do their shopping, or they go to on a trip or our for Sunday lunch, that’s the only time most of our passengers leave the house and see other people.”

They added: “With everything that the people were saying about just how much they rely on the service it really opened our eyes.”

Shire Community Services Ltd has been a registered charity in operation since 1973, located in the heart of Wellingborough town centre.

The fundraiser to keep the Wellibus on the road is at https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-our-wellibus.