April 2024 : News from the Chairman
A huge thank you to everyone, around 100 of you, who came to help us celebrate the recent arrival of our new Downderry and District community bus at Inn on the Shore. Your support is vital and means so much. The community bus was founded about 35 years ago. It was a great honour to have John Measures, the founding chairman, cut the ribbon for the new bus.
The original constitution says it was set up “to serve the educational, recreational and welfare needs of the residents of Downderry, Hessenford, Narkurs and Seaton (both sides of the river).” And that is exactly what we still seek to do.
We are a registered charity and are administered and operated solely by volunteers, a fantastically hard-working and dedicated bunch of people. Public services are under pressure as seldom before, not least in the transport sector, where public subsidies for bus services are being reduced and routes are being cut. The threats are real. But as long as we have our community bus in robust, good shape, we have our local solution to meeting the challenges.
There’s lots going on in April and May to keep the new bus busy. On Wednesday April 3 we are heading to Exeter, and then it’s the first Friday of the month, April 5, which means it’s Looe and the service designed to give you a long, leisurely lunch-time visit. We are then off to Totnes on Friday April 12 and as spring-time progresses it is Truro on Wednesday April 17. This month’s excursion will take us to St. Ives with the wonderful Tate Gallery and the Barbara Hepworth Museum on Friday April 26.
Do remember the Friends of the Bus coffee morning in the Village Hall on Monday April 15. The new bus may just have arrived, but we are already starting the monumental task of saving to finance the one after as well! You can keep up-to-date through the timetables posted on the village noticeboards, in Nut Tree and on the DaSRA website www.dasra.co.uk
For all passenger bookings please call Bev Brighton on 01503 250944. For 300 Club and details of the monthly draw call Jo Woodley on 01503 250489. For any other questions, including on driver recruitment, please contact Kevin Done, chairman on 01752 466313 (I have NOT moved to Plymouth, it’s a BT glitch!) or by email at kevindone@hotmail.com.
Chairman’s Report for Downderry & District Community Bus Association AGM held 08.11.22 at St Nicolas Church.
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The Downderry & District Community Bus Association is a voluntary organisation - Charity Number 1000967 - formed to serve the welfare and needs of the Downderry, Hessenford, Narkus and Seaton communities. The community bus provides a regular weekly link with both Plymouth and Liskeard and an early morning service between Seaton and Downderry during school terms. Other popular, regular destinations include Truro, Tavistock, Totnes, Exeter and Looe. The timetable and details of monthly excursions, usually on a Friday, are available in the Nut Tree monthly newsletter, on local websites (including this one, see below) and on the village noticeboards.
Concessionary fare cards can be used on the Plymouth, Liskeard and Trago Mills routes. Under 15s travel at half price and there is no charge for under 5s. A gentle reminder to all passengers who use discretionary passes on our registered routes, namely the Plymouth, Liskeard, Trago Mills and Seaton services. Can you please try to remember always to have your pass with you, as it is possible that an inspector could choose to come on board during a journey to check up, that our claims for reimbursement are being made properly. Many thanks.
To book a seat please ring Bev Brighton on weekdays between 9am and 5pm on 01503 250944. You can also support your bus by joining the 300 Club and buying a monthly draw ticket. It only costs £12 for the year. To join please contact Jo Woodley on 01503 250489, or email here: or come to one of our sociable Tea and Cake afternoons usually held at Downderry & Seaton Village Hall. Check the events diary for dates.There is always a raffle and the ever popular puzzle and book stall. Phone Jane Mather for bus hire bookings by affiliated groups on 01503 250840, For any other matters please contact Kevin Done, Chairman, on 01752 466313 or Jem Hall, Vice Chairman, on 01503 261497. We are always looking to recruit new drivers and helpers.
