Asylum Seekers Community Transport Scheme

We used to help clients get to education, volunteering, vital services and social opportunities at a reduced cost.

Our goal is for asylum seekers to improve their English language skills, increase their confidence and improve their quality of life and well-being.

We will start phasing these journeys back into our operation subject to guidance and our ability to offer a fair, consistent service and the ability to keep up with the demand..

If you are an asylum seeker and you want to register for this service, please contact the scheme by calling or texting 07826 596900 to book an appointment.

The Need

The cost of regular public transport is a significant burden for asylum seekers. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work and, therefore, rely exclusively on their government allowance. The weekly allowance for an individual is £39.62 for food, clothing, toiletries, personal items and transportation. The cost in Swansea of an adult day bus ticket is £4.70 which is 83% of a person's daily allowance (£5.66) and a weekly ticket is £22.50 which is 57% of a person’s weekly allowance. Taxis are even more expensive and asylum seekers are not eligible for other community transport schemes. Frequently, they must choose between using transport to access services or to remain isolated.

Choose Love reports “Before the Covid-19 pandemic, asylum support rates were already significantly less than mainstream benefits; following the uplift, it is now barely 40% of the allowance people over 25 receive on Universal Credit.”

Asylum Seekers will experience:

Decreased isolation by improved access to vital services and social opportunities.
Improved confidence, quality of life and wellbeing.
Improved English skills – by accessing ESOL classes.
Improved access to volunteering opportunities

Volunteer Driver’s lives will be enriched as they make relationships with asylum seekers. This will lead to increased understanding, decreased fear and improved community cohesion

The Community Transport Award 2019

We are so honoured that our Asylum Seeker Community Transport Scheme is Winner of the Community Transport Association Awards 2019 for Volunteer Car Scheme of the Year.

We are proud to support asylum seekers in Swansea.

Please visit the following Website for more details :-
CTAUK.ORG - Community Transport Association - The Community Transport Awards 2019

Volunteer Benefits

Drivers will receive 45p per mile travel reimbursement and at least one of the following trainings depending on interest and eligibility:

MiDAS - Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme – which is a registration-based scheme that has been designed to enhance minibus driving standards and promote the safer operation of minibuses.
MiDAS Car & MPV provides the opportunity for organisations operating smaller vehicles, or voluntary car schemes, to deliver the same level of training to their drivers as MiDAS gives to minibus drivers. It follows the same modular format, providing drivers with the information they need to provide safe and comfortable transport for their passengers.Below is a video link, that may be useful for person wishing to have a first understanding of DBS check system and / or for use with volunteers wishing to understanding the process:-
“The video aims to show the process of a standard and enhanced DBS application in a more user-friendly way.”

Our Volunteer Driver role is still available at this time, but has been modified to protect volunteers and clients.
Drivers are making food/goods deliveries to clients (i.e. after shopping for them or collecting from a food bank).
At present we are only taking vulnerable passengers to medical appointments. It is at the driver’s discretion whether or not they transport passengers – it is not a requirement for the role. Drivers should always follow the current guidance from the Community Transport Association: https://ctauk.org/covid19-guidance/ and Welsh Government guidance: https://gov.wales/coronavirus.

Administration assistants will receive:

Training on Microsoft Office (Excel, Word), customer service, organisation and record keeping.

Transportation reimbursement.

All volunteers will receive a full induction, have regular meetings with the Project Manager and have the opportunity to sit on the steering group for this project. They will also be provided with references upon request.

This Project is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund
Noddir y project gan Gronfa Gymunedol Y Loteri Cenedlaethol.

A huge thank you to all the National Lottery Players for making this project possible!
Diolch anferth i chwaraewyr y Loteri Cenedlaethol am wneud y project yn bosib

We are actively recruiting volunteer drivers and administration assistants.

Please contact Emily 01792470298 or Email [email protected]

Contact Form