Our distinctive white and blue vehicles are a familiar sight around Scarborough, and whilst the drivers and passenger assistants are the ‘face’ of Dial a Ride, did you know that it is the Trustees who are in charge of the charity’s overall direction, responsible for making sure it is well-run and meeting all its legal obligations?
We are a registered charity which has been helping older and vulnerable people in the town for over 40 years. We have recently welcomed three new Trustees, bringing our total number to six, following the retirement of local business woman, Val Green.
Colin Woodhead, Chair of Trustees at Scarborough Dial a Ride, said “Val has been such a wonderful Trustee for the past three years and we are so grateful to her for the time, skills and experience she so willingly shared.”
“Whilst we are very sad to see Val go, we are absolutely delighted to welcome three new Trustees to help us safeguard the future of this vital service. Between them they bring a wealth of relevant experience, knowledge and skills and we are grateful that they have chosen to support Scarborough Dial a Ride.”
Jonathan Knight has been a volunteer driver at Dial a Ride for 13 years following service in the Royal Air Force and a career in the UK and overseas hospitality sector. A previous member and President of the Rotary Club of Scarborough Cavaliers and a current volunteer Ranger for the North York Moors National Park, Jonathan has a deep and first-hand understanding of the value of volunteering.
Karen Brown, who is new to Dial a Ride, has previous experience of volunteering, self-employment and marketing and administration. Karen is particularly interested in services which help to alleviate exclusion and isolation, and chose to support Dial a Ride as she recognised the value of the organisation’s contribution to the community. To support her role as Trustee, Karen has also started as a passenger assistant and car driver, as she feels it is vital to have first-hand experience of supporting passengers.
Nick Bland, also a current volunteer driver at Dial a Ride, brings many years’ experience of public service, including volunteer roles for Scarborough Sixth Form College and the Citizens Advice Witness Service. Nick is looking forward to supporting Dial a Ride to continue making a positive difference to local people’s lives.
Jonathan Knight, Colin Woodhead, Karen Brown, Val Green (ret.), Judith Drury, Nick Bland, Peter Bridgewood.
Steve Marsh, Manager at Scarborough Dial a Ride, said “It is so heartening that when so many organisations struggle to recruit volunteers, we have been able to attract the support of such talented people to become Trustees. It is a role which comes with great responsibility and I would like to thank them all for joining the team.”
Scarborough Dial a Ride has been supporting older and disabled local people for over 40 years and last year alone completed over 23,000 trips – an increase of over 11% on the previous year.
Last year, volunteers gave a staggering 20,000 hours of their time.
Anyone interested in finding out more about becoming a volunteer at Dial a Ride – either as a Driver or Passenger Assistant, can call Steve Marsh on (01723) 354434 between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday-Friday for an informal chat.