Hampshire: OBE nominations for long-serving bus volunteers

Rod Pink (right) has been working for community bus groups since 1994

Two friends who have worked unpaid for community bus groups for almost 30 years have been nominated for OBEs by one of their passengers.

Driver Rod Pink, 83, and assistant Denise Blain, 74, operate a shopping bus in the Waterside area of Hampshire.

Passenger Bernadine Rouse nominated them for their long service and for checking on clients at home.

Their employer Community First said they were "superstars who never miss a trip".

Mr Pink, the Hampshire charity's oldest driver, started as a bus volunteer in 1994 after taking early retirement.

He became a driving trainer and examiner, working unpaid for up to 35 hours a week, before taking his current role and also organising medical shipments to Ukraine.

He said: "I enjoy meeting the people. Denise is very energetic - she makes me feel a bit weak."

Denise Blain (right) helps passengers with everything from heavy shopping to oxygen cylinders

Ms Blain, who became a volunteer driver in 1995, now assists passengers with everything from heavy shopping to oxygen cylinders.

She joked that her friend was "quite good at reversing" but sometimes annoyed her by staring at his watch when they were running late.

Ms Rouse said: "[Rod's] an absolute poppet, really. It's... the aftercare that counts.

"If there's ever any problem they'll ring up later in the day to see if there's anything you need. Once you're on their bus, you're theirs and they take care of you."

Mr Pink is an "absolute poppet", passenger Bernadine Rouse said

Nik Mussell, from Community First New Forest, said: "They are a pair. They work well together. That's why the bus works so well."

The wheelchair-accessible minibus runs three times a week between Fawley and Marchwood.

In September, the charity said its community transport schemes were threatened by proposed budget cuts by Hampshire County Council.

It said the authority was considering withdrawing all subsidies from 2025.

The pair will find out in about 12 to 18 months whether their nominations were successful.

Follow BBC South on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].