Yapton housebuilder drives fundraising for Arun Community Transport with £1,500 donation

A local volunteer car scheme for residents in the Arun District, Arun Community Transport (ACT), has welcomed a £1,500 donation from David Wilson Homes this month to support its running costs. The housebuilder, who is building its Ryebank Gate development in Yapton, will see its donation help cover the costs of vital updates to the charity’s IT systems and equipment.

Formed in 2018, ACT provides an affordable and reliable transport alternative for residents living across the Yapton, Littlehampton and the wider Bognor Regis area. The charity helps to ensure residents can attend health appointments, go shopping and visit family, and within its cost includes the first hour wait and return.

The donation from David Wilson Southern Counties has enabled the purchase of a new Dell computer, and funded the installation of Microsoft 365 software in the office, bringing the charity’s systems up-to-date to ensure smoother online operation.

The donation was made as part of the housebuilder’s Community Fund initiative, funded by the Barratt Foundation, which supports a local organisation each month, celebrating their efforts in the local area.

Kimberley Benson, Sales and Marketing Director at David Wilson Southern Counties, said: “In this climate, where the cost of car ownership remains out of reach for many local residents, Arun Community Transport offers the peace of mind that they can still access a reliable travel service. Community Transport is a valuable resource, helping those who cannot travel independently to stay connected within the community, and we are proud to do our part to help reduce the number of privately-owned cars on the road, while ensuring residents can still travel freely and safely.”

Mike Clayden, Chairman at Arun Community Transport, said: “As the cost of living crisis is increasingly felt across our local communities, we wanted to ensure that residents could continue to be mobile, access important appointments and enabling social visits. We thank David Wilson Southern Counties for its generous contribution towards our local initiative, and their support has ensured that we have up-to-date equipment to provide an efficient and quick service. We are currently looking for volunteers who will help support our network of drivers, and encourage anyone who is interested to reach out to us via our website.”

To find out more about Arun Community Transport, tel: 01903 792110 or [email protected].