Driving schemes are a lifeline to some older and more vulnerable people living in the UK. For some older people, they can never leave the house due to their rural location, being unable to walk for long distances, not having family or friends nearby or not having access to public transport.
For things like attending hospital or doctors appointments or just visiting friends, this can have a huge impact on their lives.
RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme) runs many driving schemes across the UK which provide free or low-cost door-to-door service for older or more vulnerable people. Service varies project to project, but all opportunities are available for those who need it, and we are always looking for new volunteers to give back and make a difference in their community. Some RSVP Driver projects, such as Help to Health in the north east of England, supply volunteer drivers for healthcare appointments, whereas others support a wider range of needs.
Any volunteering is completely flexible and based around the availability of the volunteer. If someone needs a lift that one volunteer cannot make, then efforts will be made to find another volunteer who can. As is expected, the driving scheme goes hand in hand with befriending. Whether an official part of the project or not, all our volunteer drivers are chatty and friendly, and can offer even just ten minutes of conversations for users of the service.
If you’re interested in volunteering then please see the available opportunities below. If you can’t find an opportunity in your area and are interest in starting one up, then please get in touch.