“The whole of the Town Council is united and committed to ensuring that the Community Cars continue to provide a vital service," Knighton Mayor says

Knighton Town Council has insisted it is united and committed to saving a community car scheme, after the charity which ran for 30 years it announced it was closing last week.

Knighton and District Community Support trustees announced last week that the charity will seek to exist by the end of October, due to financial issues – it was established in 1994.

The charity’s community car scheme which provides transport for older and disabled residents to medical appointments or for shopping trips – is a lifeline, especially for those living in more isolated locations.

A public meeting took place at Knighton Community Centre last week, where chairperson Yvonne Moses announced  that the trustees had come to the decision to close down the charity.

Knighton Town Council then called an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday to discuss if there was any way they could help to avert the disaster.

In a statement, Knighton Town Council said: “At a public meeting on August 18 the Knighton Community and District Support Group announced that it was ceasing to provide all its community transport services, including the vitally important transport to hospitals, from October 30.

“On Wednesday, August 20, an emergency Town Council Meeting was held to discuss ways the Council could assist in ensuring the vital hospital transport could continue to operate under new management, with little or no funds available due to the closure of the Furniture Barn and the office in Broad Street.

“As we understand it, a new organisation, headed by Karen Wilding, retaining all the volunteer drivers and using volunteer co-ordinators, is being set up to continue the service.

“The Town Council members unanimously agreed that furnished office space would be immediately be made available to this group at the Civic Centre free of charge for 12 months.”

Knighton Mayor, Councillor Tom Taylor, said; "The whole of the town ouncil is united and committed to ensuring that the Community Cars continue to provide a vital service."

Mrs Wilding has expressed her desire for the community to do everything it can to at least keep the transport scheme alive in a post that appeared on the Knighton Open Forum Facebook page last week.

“The community is united in our agreement that the transport scheme is an incredible asset and a vital lifeline to a huge number of local people

“Everyone involved, in its original set up and continued running, deserves huge thanks and gratitude.

“It has relied largely on goodwill from community members and this shows how lucky we are to live where we do. My own mum depends on it, as do many of my neighbours.”

Mrs Wilding said she was contacted by two volunteer drivers asking what could be done to stop the loss of the scheme which was originally due to end on August 15.

She said a lot of people who rely on the scheme also contacted her, anxious and upset.

Mrs Wilding said she contacted Knighton Community Centre volunteers, Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations, the town council and people who offered to help to establish a new service, although she said she has not had any response from the charity’s trustees.

“As the charity currently runs the scheme, without this contact its extremely unlikely the community will be able to proceed with any sort of rescue plan to make sure the service runs without a break from August 29.

“I have willingly stepped up to lead and meet with those who’ve offered the help needed to save the scheme.

“There is no time or place for anything but positive discussions; only unity will help save the scheme.”