RSP Member - VASA Community Transport

In rural communities, a missed appointment isn't just an inconvenience. It can mean a cancer diagnosis delayed, a mental health crisis unaddressed, or an older person spending another week entirely alone. For the people VASA serves, transport isn't a nice-to-have. It is the thing that makes everything else possible.

VASA is a community transport and wellbeing charity operating across Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Rugby, and Solihull. We connect people who have no other means of getting around, particularly older and disabled residents in rural and semi-rural areas, with the journeys that matter most: hospital appointments, GP surgeries, social activities, and the everyday essentials that most people take for granted.

At the heart of our work is a network of volunteer drivers who give their time to take passengers door to door. They don't just provide a lift. They provide a familiar face, a few minutes of conversation, a reassurance that someone knows you exist. For many of our passengers, particularly those living alone in scattered rural communities, that human connection is as important as the journey itself.

We are proud to be playing a leading role in rural transport planning in our area. VASA is the named lead organisation for the Rural Transport Task and Finish Group under Stratford District Council's GO Plan, working with local authorities, health partners, and communities to develop practical, sustainable solutions to rural isolation and inaccessibility.

We believe community transport deserves to be recognised for what it actually is: low-cost health infrastructure. Every journey we provide reduces the pressure on emergency services, supports hospital discharge, prevents unnecessary admissions, and keeps people connected to the care and community they need. When people can get to where they need to go, they stay healthier, happier, and more independent for longer.

None of this would be possible without the generosity of the funders, grant-makers, and partner organisations who believe in what we do. Their support allows us to keep fares affordable, maintain our fleet of accessible vehicles, recruit and support volunteer drivers, and reach the people who need us most. We are deeply grateful to every organisation that has chosen to invest in community transport and, through it, in the wellbeing of rural communities.

We are a small charity with a big reach, and we are ambitious about growing our impact. We are delighted to be joining the Rural Services Network as we continue to make the case, locally and nationally, that rural transport is not a luxury. It is a lifeline.

Find out more: www.vasa.org.uk

Charity No. 1067584