By Victoria Armstrong, Chief Executive of the Community Transport Association and Director of Women in Bus and Coach
Being able to leave your home, see people you care about and take part in community life should be something everyone can count on.
Yet for someone who cannot access suitable transport, an everyday journey can become a significant barrier. Getting to an appointment, going shopping or meeting friends may depend on whether the right support is available.
Community transport helps make those journeys possible. Its value can be seen in the independence, confidence and connections that a journey enables.
This year’s Community Transport Week theme, “Driving Communities Forward”, invites us to celebrate the people behind that work. For me, it is also an opportunity to recognise the women contributing across our sector, and to consider how we support them.
Women bring their skills to community transport as drivers, passenger assistants, coordinators, volunteers, trustees and organisational leaders. Whether they are helping a passenger travel with confidence, organising services or planning for an organisation’s future, their contribution matters.
Some of that work is highly visible. Much of it happens quietly: arranging a journey, understanding an individual’s needs, supporting a volunteer or finding a solution when plans change.
We should make time to recognise that expertise. Delivering transport that responds to people’s needs requires judgement, patience, organisation and care. These are skills to value and develop.
As a director of Women in Bus and Coach, I want women in community transport to feel represented within our network and able to benefit from the connections it offers.
Our organisations vary enormously in size and structure. Connecting with peers can give women space to exchange ideas, discuss challenges and explore their next steps, whether they are new to the sector or leading an established organisation.
We must also listen to what helps people contribute and progress. That means understanding the experiences of paid colleagues and volunteers, recognising different routes into the sector and making development opportunities accessible.
Community Transport Week is a celebration, but it is also a chance to explain what our organisations need to keep serving their communities. Recruitment, funding and the support available to volunteers all affect our ability to deliver the journeys people rely on.
The people providing those services should be part of that conversation. Their experience can help shape decisions that work for organisations and passengers alike.
This week, I would encourage community transport organisations to share the stories of the women in their teams. Celebrate their achievements, explain the difference their work makes and help others see how they could get involved.
And if you are a woman working or volunteering in community transport, I hope you will see Women in Bus and Coach as a network for you too.
Driving communities forward depends on people. Recognising and supporting those people will help us build a stronger future for everyone who relies on community transport.
Find out more about Community Transport Week and how you can get involved by visiting the Community Transport Association website.
