Community transport service given 'vital' funding

Harthill Tea Day Social Club aims to tackle loneliness through tea and chat

A service providing free transport to older people in rural parts of Rotherham has received funding which will help it to keep operating for another year.

Harthill Tea Day Social Club aims to tackle isolation and loneliness through tea and social entertainment, day trips and events.

The club has been awarded a grant of £3,560 from South Yorkshire Community Foundation (SYCF) enabling it to continue to provide free transport for members in the Harthill and Kiveton areas.

Trustee and chair of the club Marlene Lockwood said: "The continued funding of our community transport service is vital to our members and to the continued sustainability of our club."

She added: "Without the support of South Yorkshire's Community Foundation we would have struggled to provide the... transport service that makes our tea day meetings accessible."

'Taken care of'

The social club, which was established in 1951, holds fortnightly tea days to provide regular social interaction, a buffet tea and friendships that members rely on outside of the social club's meetings.

A volunteer from Age UK Rotherham attends regularly to help members with Blue Badge applications, passport renewals and referrals for council, NHS and welfare support.

The club will celebrate its 75th birthday in 2026.

SYCF is the region's largest grant-giving charity, awarding more than £1m every year to voluntary and community groups across South Yorkshire.

Jess O'Neill, grants and partnerships manager at SYCF, said: "It's wonderful to see the older people of Harthill and Kiveton being taken care of in this way."

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