Burghfield & Mortimer Volunteer Bureau seeks help to continue supporting elderly with medical appointments across West Berkshire and North Hampshire

A long-running community taxi service is urgently seeking more volunteers to continue supporting local residents.

Run out of a small office at Burghfield Methodist Church, the Burghfield & Mortimer Volunteer Bureau supports elderly and vulnerable parishoners in West Berkshire and North Hampshire with transport to hospital, GP, dentist and optician appointments.

Its team of 28 retired volunteers have completed over 500 journeys so far this year – but more drivers are needed for the service to continue.

Started by a local doctor and nurse at Mortimer GP Surgery more than 40 years ago, the operation now supports patients based in Aldermaston, Beech Hill, Bramley, Burghfield Common, Grazeley, Mortimer, Mortimer West End, Padworth, Pamber Heath, Silchester, Sulhamstead, Tadley and Ufton Nervet.

Its drivers frequently take patients to and from Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, John Radcliffe and Churchill Hospitals in Oxford, West Berkshire Community Hospital, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, Frimley Park Hospital and various local GPs and dental practices.

The service closed for a year during the pandemic and reopened in April 2021.

But with 760 total drives recorded last year, the number of drives was still 29 per cent below its pre-Covid rate.

Gilbert Bedford has managed the bureau since taking over from the previous organiser in 2018.

Speaking about how the service works and why he became involved, he said: “We pick them up from the door, take them to the hospital, park up, take them to whatever department they have to go to and sit and chat with them.

“Then they go off and do what they need to and when they come out, there’s a friendly face they can talk to and we drop them back at home.

“I get a great satisfaction out of doing it. You hear some fantastic life stories.

“Some of these people, they don’t see anybody, they’ve got no family close by.”

Patients are welcome to make a small voluntary contribution towards the bureau’s running costs and to reimburse drivers – who are using their own private cars – for their fuel usage but Mr Bedford says he and his team have not accepted any donations for the last six to eight months, relying primarily on a Government cost-of-living grant.

Explaining the bureau’s importance, Mr Bedford added: “We want to get the word out there for people that don’t know about us.

“The more drivers we can get, the better.

“We had a request the other day from a gentleman who had to go to Basingstoke Hospital.

“He didn’t know we existed and he was relying on the hospital for transport, but it didn’t turn up and he missed his appointment.

“So, he phoned Mortimer Surgery and they told him to get in touch with us.

“We managed to get a driver for the next appointment and he was over the moon.”

Drivers can decide how much time they contribute and an allowance of 50 pence per mile is covered.

A DBS check will be required for those without one.

If you are recently retired and wish to get involved, contact (0118) 983 1814 or bureauvolunteer@gmail.com

Office opening time are 9.30am to 11.30am from Monday to Friday.