Have you thought about becoming a driver?
Your Community Needs YOU!
| Our minibus is totally dependent on volunteers without whom we would simply cease to exist. In an ideal world we would like to see two distinct groups of drivers – 1. Drivers who are members of a club or society and who are prepared to offer their services to that club/society. This would benefit the club/society in effect giving them their own vehicle but without all the headaches of ownership. - The Village Minibus would benefit too – it takes the pressure of it’s group of volunteers but ensures that the minibus is being fully utilised.
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| 2. The second group of volunteer driver would be those who are prepared to drive for The VillageMinibus. · We have regular monthly bookings such as Senior Citizen Clubs where it is not practicable for them to have Member Drivers. · We have our own organised trips such as the monthly shopping trip to Cheltenham and the soon to be restarted “Jillywood” Tours. · We have many, many one off bookings which are the life blood of our minibus – the trips to the theatre, the trip to the airport, the special outing or occasion. |
| If you joined our group of drivers you would receive a regular up-date, usually by email, of the trips booked. - It would be your decision whether to agree to drive any of them.
- There would be no pressure put on you to drive.
- Your efforts no matter how small would be valued and would make a great difference to our communities.
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| No payment is made to our drivers but if you are driving for the whole day you can expect £10 subsistence for food and drinks from the group hiring the minibus |
Are you eligible to drive?
| You must be between the ages of 25 and 69. This is for insurance purposes. |
| You must have held a full driving licence, with the entitlement to drive a car (category B) for at least two years. |
Training
| All our drivers undertake MiDAS (Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme) training. |
| It consists of a one day training course with an open book assessment and a one hour driving assessment. |
| It also includes training in wheelchair access. |
| The training takes place locally under the auspices of Gloucestershire County Council who will fund the cost of the course for one driver from any group. |
| If you volunteer to drive for The Village Minibus, we will cover the cost of your training. |
| MiDAS training is a nationally recognised qualification and a certificate is issued on successful completion of the course. |
Application forms
| There are two forms to be completed. 1. Driver Registration Application Form. 2. Occupational Health Form - a confidential form upon which it will be decided whether you will be invited to attend a health assessment. |
I'm still not sure........
| Q. Can I have a chat with someone from the minibus? A. It would be our pleasure - you could speak to one of the drivers or have a chat with our Co-ordinator who would be happy to show you the bookings diary to get more of a flavour of the trips that we undertake Q. Can I have a test drive before I make my mind up? A. Yes, one of our drivers will be happy to accompany you. |
Some of our trips are challenging but as a Minibus driver you learn to take it in your stride and just get on with the job!!