OSWESTRY Dial-A-Ride has confirmed it has received more than £12,000 in donations and funding as part of their 'Buy Us A Bus' campaign.

The campaign, launched in October 2019 by Oswestry Community Action (Qube) started with a target to raise £10,000 to help fund a new vehicle for their Dial-A-Ride service which is used by members who need transport to and from appointments and activities in the Oswestry area.

By January 2020 they had not only exceeded their original target but had also managed to raise awareness of their community transport service and the key role it plays in the community.

Transport supervisor Michelle Kelsall said the group was overwhelmed by the generosity of people in what is their first-ever kickstart campaign.

She said: "This is the first time we have ever launched a campaign of this kind and we really had no idea how it would work out but we have been totally overwhelmed by the generosity of people and organisations locally.

"We set the target at £10,000 in the hope we might raise some of that but with a couple of larger donations we managed to raise more than we had hoped possible.

"Keeping our fleet on the road is an expensive service and we need to make sure that our vehicles are safe, tidy and accessible.

"Being able to update one of our vehicles means that we can continue to provide this much needed service for our members."

Chief officer of Qube, Laurel Roberts, added: "We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who was able to contribute to the fundraising.

"It was a very positive project for us all and has, once again, highlighted how valuable our Dial-A-Ride service is to Oswestry and the surrounding areas.

"Covid-19 caused some delays in getting the new vehicle on the road but we are pleased that it is now in regular use and making a difference to so many people in our community."

Many other aspects of Qube’s work can be found on their website www.qube-oca.org.uk