Drive Out Loneliness – Meet our Transport Lead
Drive Out Loneliness is all about helping older, disabled, and isolated people in our
community to travel safely, but who are the people who deliver our accessible service?
Meet John, our Transport Lead, and learn more about how working with our team
of incredible drivers has just as much of an impact on them as it does on our passengers.
Q: Please could you introduce yourself, and what you do at Compaid
John: Sure! Hi everyone, my name is John. I’ve been at Compaid for 3 and a half years now,
starting as a driver and then moved into the office last year to become Transport Lead.
Q: In your own words, why is accessible transport important?
John: It levels the playing field, by allowing everyone access to travel around their community,
and gives everyone the chance to play a part in that community.
Q: What does your everyday work as Transport Lead look like?
John: Being part of an operational team means each day brings something different. My day could consist of helping to take journey bookings in the office, catching up with our team of drivers, overseeing and helping with bus maintenance, or every once in a while getting back behind the wheel to deliver a journey across Kent.
Compaid has many parts and they each interact with one another with the intention of providing the best service for our clients as possible. One common purpose means we can affect the outcome and by varying the tasks we do, we all gain a better understanding of what we are providing.
Q: What impact does Compaid’s accessible transport have on the passengers, from your perspective?
John: I’ve witness firsthand how our transport brings independence, dignity, and freedom to our
passengers. The service means they don’t have to rely on family or friends, and gives them the agency
to decide where to go and when. That leads to more freedom, as they can socialise with other passengers
and interact with their community.
I think goes a long way in supporting their sense of dignity and self-esteem.
Q: Is there any particular memory you have from working with Transport that sticks out to you?
John: Oh, definitely. I once helped a wheelchair bound passenger with sight loss to take her grand-daughter to lunch, and another time, I helped someone who had suffered a stroke to go to his local pub and enjoy an afternoon with his friends.
Hearing about driving buses may not seem like much, but opportunities to meet people and make a difference to someone’s day, no matter how small it may seem, always makes a huge difference to mine.
Q: Finally, why should someone support our Drive Out Loneliness campaign?
John: Loneliness is cruel and debilitating, and can lead to dementia and even early death
in some cases. By simply driving people to destinations of their choice, it gives each passenger
the chance to meet and interact with the other passengers as well as the driver. That alone can
make all the difference in someone’s life.
Supporting this campaign will improve lives and support the community. It’s not just about our
buses, it’s about who we are empowering through them.
Thank you John!
Thanks to the dedication of John, and our whole Transport team, hundreds of people
across Kent are able to live more independent lives. From 25th September – 9th October,
you can help us raise £12,000 to Drive Out Loneliness for the most vulnerable in our community.
Until then, Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay up to date with our
campaign news, stories from our passengers, and more!
Together, we can make sure no one is left behind!