The Newport Helpline was started in 1991 in order to help elderly local residents get to and from appointments at the (then) new Princess Royal Hospital, as well as to doctors’ surgeries in the town.
Over the years, the service has widened to provide friendly and inexpensive transport to a wide range of appointments as well as help with shopping for any residents of Newport and the surrounding area who are unable to drive themselves.
The service is run entirely by volunteers, but drivers are reimbursed for their petrol costs. The telephone service operates, from volunteers’ homes, every weekday, from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm, matching those who need transport with available drivers. In a typical month, Helpline drivers make about ninety journeys for around forty people, some using the service regularly each week and others using it on a one-off basis.
The Helpline urgently needs more volunteers to run its services. Could you spare a few hours a month to help with driving or answering the telephone? There is no fixed pattern for driving; it varies according to the requests received and your own availability. Telephone volunteers usually offer one morning per month.
If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information, please call the Helpline any weekday morning on 01952 820599.