A north-east charity has received more than £27,000 to buy a new bus to ferry senior citizens to and from appointments and days out.
Peterhead’s Dial-a-Community Bus project has been running since the 1990s and is a major transport provider in the Buchan area for OAPs and people in care.
Now, the town’s Asda supermarket has recognised volunteers’ achievements and handed over £27,573 which will be used to purchase a new vehicle.
The bus will be added to the charity’s existing fleet which can be called to help with transporting people to health centres, job interviews and schools.
Last night, Rachel Milne, manager of DACB, said: “A new bus means we can provide our clients with more access to services and opportunities, otherwise denied to them through age, frailty or exclusion.
“It enables the most vulnerable within our community to have a new feeling of independence and vastly improves their quality of life. That is the Dial-a-Community Bus’ overall ambition and we are incredibly grateful to Asda for helping us.”
Asda store manager Grant McHardy added that retail staff were “proud” to help.
The money was raised through the Asda Foundation, which supports local good causes throughout the UK.
Mr McHardy explained: “The work that they do for older people in the town is of huge benefit and an inspiration to our colleagues.”
Julie Ward, manager of the foundation, confirmed that the money would help “give something back” to the port.
She added: “Supporting smaller, local applications such as Dial-a-Community Bus is really important to us.
“And we hope it will make a real difference within the local community across the north-east of Scotland and beyond.”