The Women in Bus and Coach “Spotlight On” initiative shines a light on the incredible contributions of women in all roles across the bus, coach, and community transport sector. From professional drivers and engineers to human resources experts and CEO’s, ‘Spotlight On’ will highlight the diverse talents and achievements of women in this dynamic industry.
For Community Transport Week we are focussing on and find out about:
Dolina Gorman
Fundraising and Marketing Manager
Handicabs Lothian trading as HcL
How did you get to where you are today?
I have worked in the third sector for over 20 years, my early years where in social care and my latter years have been spent supporting fundraising in the 3rd Sector. I moved into community transport in January 2023, starting my role with HcL. The reason community transport appealed to me was because it offers such a wide range of services for so many isolated and vulnerable people within the Lothians. I am delighted to be part of a team of 30 staff that have supported over 100,000 people get out and about in 2024/25.
Did you experience any challenges getting to where you are today?
The third sector has gone through huge changes and challenges within the last 2 years. The impact has been mainly financial – as a fundraiser this is incredibly challenging, with hundreds of great causes going for the same pot of money. To overcome these challenges, we need to diversify how we fundraise.
All roles in the third sector are challenging but the magnificent people that work in this sector are incredibly resilient and skilled and overcome challenges again and again, so all our communities still get the support that is needed.
If so, how did you overcome then?
As a fundraiser you must diversify the way you work, I focused more on upskilling in my marketing skills and diversifying the way I fundraise. An example of this is reaching out to corporate teams to take part in the Edinburgh Marathon. We are delighted to have had a team of 17 runners from OCS (which have an office near us at Bilston Glen) take part in Edinburgh Marathon Festival on behalf of HcL this May.
I attended the SCVO gathering this year and try to Network as much as possible within the third sector groups and CTA training and events. I attended the Community Fundraising conference this year, this allowed me to meet other fundraisers and upskill my knowledge base.
We have a strong presence in the local community and have developed more partnership work -for example the Lottery supported our Partnership with OPAL Cyrenians for 2 years recently. We embrace working in partnerships and hope to do much more in the future, I feel this is the way forward for the third sector and community transport organisations and charities to achieve shared goals for their sector and the community.
What do you like about the sector?
I love meeting all the passengers and hearing about the difference HcL services they have used and the huge difference that these services have made to their life.
While working with HcL, the charity decided to donate one of our buses to Ukraine – Leaving from our Loanhead depot in Edinburgh to the hospital in the Khmelnytsky region of the Ukraine, covering a staggering 3134km over 4 days. The bus filled with mobility equipment and toys arrived on the 28th of May 2024 and is used to support children and families get to and from the children’s health Centre. Being able to give to others that are less fortunate was very humbling.
Staff working in this sector have a huge amount of care and a passion to improve other people’s lives. We do this by supporting people to get out and about in the community and supporting them to stay connected, which in turn reduces social isolation and loneliness. We are also a preventative service, supporting people to stay in their own home for longer.
The community transport sector is far more than just transport. It supports thousands of people each year connect with other essential community services, leisure activities, education, social settings and healthcare appointments. It is one sector that supports a hundred more.
What does a typical day look like?
No two days are the same in fundraising and Marketing. I will check emails, then look at what funding is open and if we meet the criteria for any, collate reports that evidence the need for services like HcL. I will reach out to local businesses if we have events on. Recently I visited the local Guild group to let them know about our aid to Ukraine campaign, this week I am meeting with Edinburgh college to see if they can work alongside us. Keeping up to date in what’s happening within the third sector and working in partnership with many different organisations and charities to ensure we are meeting the needs of the community and our service users. My role is very eclectic but that’s what I enjoy about it.
What advice would you give to women thinking about a career in the bus and coach sector?
Go for it! It’s a rewarding sector to work in. The team I work with have lots of staff that have been in their roles for many years. I hope to spend many more years supporting people to stay connected in their community.
What has been your bus or coach sector career highlight?
As a fundraiser my goal when I started was to support HcL get its first electric vehicle and infrastructure. We are delighted to have secured funding and purchased our first EV and have our charging points installed at our Bathgate depot in March 2024. I feel very proud to have organised the aid to Ukraine campaign (with the support of the many organisations that supported HcL )to donate one of our adapted 9-seater buses to Khmelnytskyi Childrens Centre in Ukraine.
What three things could the Bus, Coach or Community Transport sector do to improve the industry for Women?
Have more open days with women’s groups invited and marketing targeted more on women’s social media platforms and perhaps through more work with Scottish enterprise on how to reach women.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
I will always remain within the charitable sector, it’s what I love and know. I hope to grow as HcL grows, as it supports even more people to stay connected in the community.
Anything else you would like to share?
Transport really is a very welcoming community of people – doing as much as they can to keep everyone connected in their community. It is a pleasure to work in such an industry with such dedication and care.
Thank you for sharing Dorina, your story truly makes a difference.
To find out more about who Dorina works for, and career opportunities visit: https://www.hcltransport.org.uk/vacancies
