News

Compaid's Detling Shopper Bus now available in Bearsted Village

In collaboration with Bearsted Parish Council, our long running Detling Shopper bus service has now been extended to serve the residents of Bearsted. After their main bus routes were withdrawn in June 2022, the older residents of Bearsted village have been left without a service to help them travel to Maidstone town centre. Compaid met with Bearsted Parish Council’s Chair, David Hall, to find a solution. After a successful community grant application to Kent County Council submitted by David, funding was received to enable Compaid to extend the route of our Detling shopper bus to include Bearsted residents. The new route begins at Cross Keys bus stop in Bearsted, traveling up to Detling then back down to Grove Green Tesco and the new Eclipse Park Shopping Centre before ending at King Street Boots in Maidstone Town Centre. The service makes two return trips between 10.00am and 1.30pm Monday to Friday. We are happy to have worked with David Hall and the Bearsted Parish Council to address this issue and provide a new bus service that helps residents travel to the doctors, go shopping and be able to get out.

Compaid Clients Trip to Leeds Castle

With support from volunteers from Cripps and Compaid staff, our clients had the rare opportunity to get out and about to explore the sprawling grounds and rich history of Leeds Castle. Delighted that the rain stayed away for most of the day, we leisurely made our way through the Princess Alexandria Gardens and along the Cedar Lawn, ambling by the waterfall between them and marvelling at the approaching monument of Leeds Castle. Arriving at the spectacle of retained history, one group of clients enjoyed being immersed in the ‘Queens with Means’ experience, learning about the lives and history of the seven queens of Leeds Castle who ruled during Medieval and Tudor times alongside many great English Monarchs. At the same time, our second group of clients explored the Castle with its halls and vast rooms which eventually became the 1930s country home of Lady Baillie, who transformed the once royal castle into a venue for many lavish parties filled with music and dancing. At the end of the day, though tired from venturing across the vast grounds, smiles, laughter, and excited chatter filled our buses as we helped our clients back home. Through this fantastic day out many of our clients were able to enjoy what was a day to remember for many, their memories of the wonderful venue will be long-lasting as opportunities to visit national trusts, local attractions, or get out into their local community is extremely limited for many disabled and elderly people due to a lack of accessible & affordable transport. We would like to thank Cripps, Pemberton Greenish Accountants Ltd and Community Transport Association for helping to make this trip possible for so many of our clients.

Digital Skills: What are they and why are they important?

Ever imagined what it would be like to live without a phone, or have no access to the internet? For thousands of disadvantaged people, this could be a situation they find themselves in through no fault of their own. Maybe they have never had the finance to afford a phone, been shown how to access the internet or simply do not have the opportunity to learn the basic skills to get online, which are essential to live in today’s digital world. What are digital skills? Having the ability to use digital devices and the internet. It is how we communicate, how we consume our news, how we shop, and how we entertain ourselves, and without them, it is impossible to live a full life in today’s society. Through our digital skills training, we aim to close the digital divide for disadvantaged people. From an initial assessment to ascertain their needs, to working on a 1-to-1 basis at the learner's pace, we empower individuals to take greater control of their lives through digital skills, gaining vocational opportunities and having the confidence to live their lives to the fullest. How we know we are making a difference... “The sessions were very good. My trainer was very calm, explained things to me very well, and judged the timing of when breaks were needed very well on this course. It’s given me more confidence to do things for myself and not rely on other people. I will use all the things I’ve learned like the Google Maps feature to plan my journeys, and Facebook more often now.” - Michael, Digital Skills Client. “I’ve been happy to learn how to use my tablet and second-hand smartphone with the trainers. They were very patient with me as I learnt how to use email, shop online, fill out online forms, and use Zoom. I was so pleased to have this opportunity to learn all of this, and I know several of my friends have said they would love the opportunity too. I wish I was this computer literate during lockdown, but I'm so grateful for these lessons now. Thank you!” - Jess, Outreach Training Client. “I felt more confident and learned more than I could have imagined, a real eye opener. My trainer was so patient and never made me feel an idiot. I now feel more confident about using the phone, and I was sorry when the course finished. It was so enjoyable.” - Mrs B, Outreach Training Client If you or someone you know could benefit from our training, please give us a call on 01892 833606 and we can discuss how we can help you. https://www.compaid.org.uk/digital-skills/training-centre/

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