Cotswold drivers wanted for 'godsend' transport service

Mr Selwyn enjoys driving residents of the Cotswolds to appointments in his free time

A charity is seeking more volunteer drivers to give elderly and vulnerable people lifts and company.

Cotswold Friends (CF) has been taking residents of the area to hospital appointments, social clubs and exercise classes for 46 years.

The charity is currently looking for a new wheelchair-accessible vehicle driver.

Rose, who uses CF a couple of times a week, described the community transport service as "a godsend".

Volunteer driver Gary Selwyn began driving Cotswold residents to appointments in his spare time after receiving a leaflet through his door.

"We have some drivers that do a few journeys and some that do quite a lot - you can really pick and choose how many you want to do," Mr Selwyn said.

"You get some really interesting clients. I had one chap who was well into his 90s a couple of months ago.

"He was a spitfire pilot in World War II, and he's one of the very few pilots still alive."

'A great role'

Mr Selwyn said his role comprises a "mixture of hospital drives, a lot of medical stuff and social stuff".

He said: "This is a great role because you're helping people to get places. Without us, they simply wouldn't be able to do it.

"If there are buses, they're infrequent and a lot of the clients I take do not have the physical mobility.

"Some people struggle with getting in and out of a car let alone on a bus that's moving around, so we've got such a vital role."

Mr Selwyn said that CF just charges on mileage, with a return trip to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital or Cheltenham General Hospital generally costing around £19.

Mrs Leicester has been using Cotswold Friends for several years

Cotswolds resident Rose Leicester started using CF with her late husband, John, after their car was written off.

"You have chats with the drivers which you don't have with taxi drivers," Mrs Leicester said.

"With taxis, you just sit in the back and get driven and then give them their fare and probably a tip as well, but it's just so reasonable the price of Cotswold friends.

"They're really a godsend."