DIAL-A-BUS
SCOOPS TOP AWARD
Buchan Dial-a-Community Bus (DACB)
won the Charity of the Year award at the Annual
TFN Awards that are organised by the Scottish Council
for Voluntary Organisations and voluntary sector newspaper Third
Force News.
As well as Charity of the Year another four
awards in different categories were presented including Charity
Champion, Community Action, Campaign of the Year and Partnership.
Susan Smith TFN editor said: “I want
to offer my congratulations to all the winners of the very first
TFN annual Charity Awards for the voluntary sector. The judging
panel were very impressed with all of the award nominees but
the winners really deserve their accolades. From small community-based
voluntary organisations to some of Scotland’s largest
charities, the quality was superb and it’s a great privilege
to be able to highlight the vital work that all of the groups
perform.”
“Buchan Dial-a-Community Bus
is a great example of a charity that is making a real difference
to its community and one that has achieved a great
deal in the last year, working in partnership with Grampian
police and members of the community. I am delighted that in
this first year of the Annual Charity Awards, TFN was able to
reward Buchan Dial-A-Community Bus as Scotland’s Charity
of the Year.”
Dial-a-Community Bus Manager Mrs Rachel Milne
was ecstatic at receiving the award;
“Dial-a-Community Bus works really
hard to provide accessible, affordable transport for the community
and it’s wonderful to have this effort acknowledged by
our peers in the Voluntary sector. The judges were impressed
by what we have achieved with the resources that we have and
by the innovative partnership we have with organisations like
Grampian Police.”
Grampian Police and Buchan Dial-a-Community
Bus have a long history of partnership work; volunteer off duty
police officers were the original bus drivers for the DACB project
in the 1990’s and many still drive for the project’s
community group use service as and when they can. As the charity
has grown, the links with Grampian Police have increased with
DACB receiving a lot of help from the Force’s Road Safety
Unit as well as many other departments. DACB are currently providing
training in MiDAS for cars and MPV’s, PATS and MEEP to
the Grampian Police cadets and are providing them with community
placements.
Sergeant Alan Brown has worked with Dial-a-Community
Bus since 1994. Initially a volunteer driver, over the years
he has moved through the management committee until his appointment
as one of the project’s Volunteer Directors in 2005.
Alan explained;
"I have been a volunteer with DACB for many years, work
which I have always found rewarding and complimentary to my
job with Grampian Police. Most recently, through my present
role in road safety, I have been able to develop and hold several
training events with DACB. We have also been able to develop
links with the Grampian Police Cadet Unit which has led to Cadet
training and placements with DACB. I am delighted that this
partnership, which has been built over many years, has assisted
in some way to the success of DACB in achieving this award.
This is great news for all those who work with DACB, but more
importantly, for the community served by them."
Rachel commented;
“The Awards evening was an amazing experience and it was
fantastic to actually win the Charity of the Year award, especially
given the calibre of the other nominees. It is nice to see the
work that local groups are doing being recognized. In his acceptance
speech Alan rightly paid homage to our all volunteers and staff,
who make our work possible. DACB is a charity run by the community
for the community and it is this commitment from local people
and groups that is being acknowledged through this award.
“It also highlights the work and raises
the profile of Community Transport nationally, which is important
and if by winning this award we can raise CT’s profile
with potential funders and the RTP’s then I think we’ve
done something important for the whole sector. It’s wonderful
for CT to be recognised at this level and I’m really proud
of our achievement.”
The award winners and nominees:
CHARITY OF THE YEAR
For an organisation that has made significant
achievements and gained public recognition
Winner - BUCHAN DIAL-A-BUS
Other nominees -
