New look for local service as Wellbeing Bus intends to be 'unrestricted' for people in Wellingborough and beyond

A Wellingborough-based community charity’s bus service has opened up its travel options to more people, hoping to bring affordable transport to anyone in need.

The Health and Wellbeing Bus, formerly the Wellibus, is operated by Shire Community Services. It has been described as a ‘lifeline’ for the elderly and disabled in the local community, but as the service looks to expand its reach in Northamptonshire, it’s now looking to cater to a more diverse range of passengers.

It trialled a route in Rushden and Higham Ferrers, jointly funded by each town’s council, which was extended to spring 2024. The expansion efforts haven’t stopped, though, as Shire Community Services’ managing director Cllr Jonathan Ekins intends to eventually cover the entire county.

He said: "We’re dropping the Wellibus and changing it to health and wellbeing. Mainly because I’m a councillor and what’s being pushed at NNC is inclusivity and making sure that everyone is treated the same.

“Anybody can use it, literally anybody. The whole idea is that we want to get people out and about. Not everybody can get out or get to a bus because they’ve stopped running to the villages where we’ve now come in to fill that gap.

"Health and wellbeing isn’t just about taking people to the hospital, it can be anything.

“We don’t say no, we just say ‘what can we do?’.”

The push to making the bus and car services more accessible for all is referred to by bosses as ‘Operation Alcatraz’, as the lack of transport can cause social isolation to settle in, with some going weeks or months without seeing a friendly face.

Excursions are commonplace, with weekly lunch trips on Sundays and days out in the local area and, in some cases, further afield.

It has previously had a stigma that it is only to be used by the elderly and disabled, but the pivot to an ‘unrestricted’ approach hopes to cater to the likes of school trips, adults with anxiety, mothers without their own transportation and anyone affected by the changing of bus routes in Northamptonshire.

Buses are modified for enhanced accessibility, and can transport up to 16 people at one time. The hope is to have four buses by the end of the year delivering regular trips for passengers, using the external of the buses for sponsorships to increase revenue.

The organisation also has a car service which is headed up by volunteer drivers which is adopting the same universally-accessible approach.

Those who feel they would benefit from the services must be a member to use them. Membership is 77p per week and payable in advance.

Shire Community Services will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary, and the bus service is approaching 25 years in operation. When we took a trip on the Wellibus last year we said: “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.”