FOR many elderly and disabled, Newton Abbot Community Transport provides a vital lifeline to the outside world.

Covering a wide area stretching to Buckfastleigh in one direction and Stokeinteignhead in the other, it brings people into the market town Mondays to Fridays.

Arriving in Newton Abbot, those who require mobility aids have Shopmobility all under one roof below the multi-storey car park in Sherborne Road, offering daily and long-term wheelchair, scooter and walker hire.

2016 marks Newton Abbot Community Transport’s 25th anniversary – it was formed with a ring and ride scheme in 1991 – and later this year a number of events are being planned to celebrate, although they are currently being kept under wraps.

What makes this combined service so unique is that while it employs eight full-time and part-time staff, there are a mass of volunteers who beaver away weekly. They range from drivers, receptionists, office staff, vehicle cleaners, fundraisers and others.

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