How the Scheme works
- We have around 80 volunteer Drivers for the scheme at the moment and 22 people on the Telephone rota. Many of these latter people are also drivers for the scheme.
- There is a red card index box which contains details of all the volunteer Drivers, along with the lifts that need organising regularly each week and a chronological list of all the lifts done in the past year.
- At the beginning of each week the 'box' goes to the designated person on the Telephone rota who then rings round the volunteer drivers and organises the lifts for the coming week. Lifts for a Monday are always organised the previous week.
- Organising the lifts is done using the list provided by the Medical Centre and from the information in the 'box' about regular trips to the hairdresser, shopping etc.
- The 'box' currently comes round to each person on the Telephone rota once every 5 months.
Where do we take people?
- Most of our trips are within the village-to the Medical Centre, the hairdressers, the Post Office or local shops but we do also provide transport outside the village for dentist, optician and local hospital appointments when necessary. We do not do shopping trips outside the village.
Who qualifies for our help?
- Anyone who is elderly and/or infirm and who does not have anyone else available to drive them.
Is there a charge for the service?
- Haddenham Fish Scheme is a Registered Charity and there is no charge for any of the driving that the scheme provides.
- The only regular expense that the scheme has is an annual insurance scheme.
- Some clients who use the scheme regularly do however like to make a donation to the scheme as a token of their appreciation. In this case they are welcome to put small donations in the fish-shaped teapot located on the reception desk in the Haddenham Medical Centre. Any larger donations are forwarded to the Treasurer, Tim Mozley (11 Popes Acre, Haddenham).
- At the end of each year the level of donations regularly exceeds the Scheme's expenses and the surplus is donated to a local cause. Past recipients have included Age Concern, the Red Cross day centre, the Medical Centre and the Eye Unit at Stoke Mandeville hospital.