Chloe Smith MP visits local mobility charity

Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North today travelled around Norwich on a Community Bus Service run by local mobility charity Norwich Door-to-Door. She boarded the bus at 8.20 and went around Norwich, starting at Bowthorpe Community Hospital. On the journey she met a number of elderly and disabled people from around Norwich who use the charity’s services. 

Formed in 1992 as a self-help group, Norwich Door-to-Door was set up by a team of severely disabled young people who were frustrated by the absence of low cost accessible transport in Norwich.

The group sought help from the Norwich Community and initially borrowed a vehicle from the Norwich Volunteer Bureau. With the assistance of the Lions Club members in Taverham, it was later registered as a charity.
Today Norwich Door-to-Door owns five fully accessible mini-buses and has a membership of over 600 people who rely on the charity to help them to access facilities around Norwich.

The charity relies heavily on a small group of around thirty volunteers as well as its six paid staff.
 
Commenting on the work done by Norwich Door-to-Door, Chloe said: 

"This is a great example of a valuable voluntary operation expanding to meet demand. We need more imaginative, flexible ideas like this to help elderly and disadvantaged people, especially with the challlenges ahead in providing social care for all those who need it."