It is now just over a year since the old Mearns Community Transport minibus finally gave up. It suffered a major mechanical breakdown and on investigating the cost of spare parts it was decided that it was not worth repairing, and the decision was taken to scrap it.
A year on and we can report that the new group, Mearns Minibus Link, formed to provide a new minibus service across the Mearns, have had a very successful campaign to raise the necessary finances to purchase a new minibus and meet the running costs in operating the vehicle.
We set a target of £43,000.00 to purchase the vehicle and have enough resources to start operating the vehicle. Applications were submitted to numerous funding bodies and some have been very successful. Contact was made with local groups and companies for support and this has also proved very successful. To raise awareness of the campaign we had a coffee morning in October and an accordion concert in November, both adding financially to the campaign. At the coffee morning we showed a board with the major contributors at that time. Since then we have had further contributions from GlaxoSmithKline Beecham (Montrose), Macphie (Glenbervie), Laurencekirk Thursday Scottish Country Dance Group, Scotmid (Laurencekirk), and other small donations.
We now have a total of £36,000.00 committed to our campaign.
As we start a New Year the campaign will continue to raise the funds required to supply a minibus for use by the community groups in the Mearns area.
Dalhousie Day Care Centre in Brechin recently took delivery of a new minibus for their operations and we have made contact with them to view their minibus and check what equipment and facilities they have provided. This will help us to confirm the specification requirements of our minibus. It will be accessible with an internal lift for wheelchairs, and some seats will be removable to allow access.
The Management Committee wish to thank all of the individuals, groups, and Companies who have supported us in the last few years, and we hope to source the balance of funds in the next few months to allow us to have our minibus soon.
At the end of 2020 we hope to report on the successful delivery of a new minibus in the Mearns.
To contact Mearns Minibus Link, please email mearnsminibus@hotmail.com or phone 07867 303065.
Scottish country dancers presenting a cheque.
The accordion concert
A busy coffee morning
