CASE STUDY -This project is no longer running but it made a big difference to people lives
sedcat’s ‘Buddies on the Bus’ project engaged with men in Bournemouth and Poole who may be socially isolated. Using one of our accessible 14 seater minibuses we offered day trips and outings all free of transport costs.
The intention was to increase social opportunities and allow participants to meet with others in similar circumstances, sharing an enjoyable experience. Through ‘Buddies on the Bus,’ new relationships were formed, leading to increased confidence and feelings of wellbeing, enabling participants to feel more confident in accessing other activities in the future. Users of the service also had the opportunity to help shape the service and especially in choosing destinations/venues to visit.
Our aim was to be as inclusive and flexible as possible with our criteria, but our priority for this funded project was older men in Bournemouth and designated areas of Poole.
We are members of locality https://locality.org.uk/ a national network for community organisations. We were provided with membership ‘free of charge’ for 2020 by People’s Health Trust who funded ‘Buddies on the bus as part of the funding award.
Although the project is no longer running we would like to thank everyone for their support, the project made a real difference.