Breadcrumbs
Wheels 2 Work works but needs more support - 10 June 2004
The scheme offers short-term scooter loans, with some providing
additional services, such as driving lessons.
Speaking at the first national Wheels to Work Conference yesterday (Wednesday 9 June), Jaki Bayly, Countryside Agency head of transport, said: “The Wheels to Work approach has now been proven to help young people secure employment that otherwise they would miss out on because they couldn’t get to work or training. Over the past two years the number of schemes has doubled to more than fifty and many schemes are hugely over-subscribed.
“This success is illustrated by the Warwickshire Wheels to Work scheme which started in 1999 with ten scooters covering one small part of the county. It will shortly increase its fleet to 100 covering the whole county and Coventry. The scheme receives over 1,000 referrals a year.
“While many schemes are successful, unfortunately some are now under serious threat due to a lack of long-term funding. The schemes develop individually to meet local needs and circumstances. As the people they support tend to come from disadvantaged backgrounds they have to rely on funding from, particularly local, bodies involved in training, employment and tackling disadvantage.
“Finding funding for individual schemes like these is always difficult. The benefits and cost-effectiveness of these schemes have been demonstrated, and we would like to see them become part of mainstream support. In most cases the overall costs of getting a person into work through a Wheels to Work scheme are far lower than those involved in other routes into training and employment.”
- ends -
The Countryside Agency is the statutory body working to make the quality of life better for people in the countryside and the quality of the countryside better for everyone. Further information at www.countryside.gov.uk
Wheels to Work schemes:
South East:
| South West:
|
East Midlands:
| West Midlands:
|
Yorkshire &
Humber:
|
|
North East:
| North West:
|
