Launch of Community Vehicle

More than fifty supporters and volunteers gathered at Haddenham Medical Centre on Saturday 31st October to welcome the launch of the new Haddenham Community Vehicle service.

The specially adapted vehicle will enable passengers in wheelchairs to be transported to social and medical appointments in the communities served by the medical centre.

Especially noteworthy is the fact that the wheelchair passenger can be positioned to sit alongside the driver, thus enabling far richer and more natural social interaction between passenger and driver during the journey.

The project is the brainchild of retired Haddenham GP, Dr Hugh Stradling, who set up and led an enthusiastic committee, working for over a year to raise funds, acquire the vehicle and introduce the service. He thanked the committee and representatives from organisations who had provided funding. Local sources included the Haddenham Beer Festivals Trust, Haddenham Village Fete, the well-established FISH "good neighbours" scheme and a generous grant from Heart of Bucks through Prevention Matters scheme (Bucks County Council).

Twenty volunteers have already signed up to be trained to operate and drive the specially modified VW Caddy. More are always welcomed. Contact for this or to use the service should initially be with the co-ordinator, Sue Brigham, on 07495 366779. For more information about booking the vehicle, please click on HCV Info below the image on this page.

The Patron for the scheme, Margaret Aston, Chair of Haddenham Parish Council welcomed the new scheme and thanked representatives of Bucks County Council whose Heart of Bucks programme has given generous support through Prevention Matters.

The committee (Peter Quilleash, David Hammond, Neil Dury, Keith Linger, Jean Watson, Sarah Warren and Jacky Keates) attended. Others present included Kyle Banks (Prevention Matters, BCC), Catherine Miller (Heart of Bucks) Chris Young (Haddenham Beer Festivals Trust), Jeanne Watt and Alison Green (FISH scheme) and Dr Kaiser Munir (Medical Centre).