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BATS Blog
BATS Travel Training soon to deliver Travel Training for Bromley
13/05/2013
We are pleased to announce that, from the 1st June 2013, Bexley Accessible Transport Scheme will be delivering Travel Training for the London Borough of Bromley. The contract is for 1 year and BATS are excited at the prospect of working with the Bromley SEN Transport Team and Glebe School.
All training is for young people with learning disabilities, and BATS have employed 4 new Travel Trainers to work within Bromley. It is a first for a Transport Scheme to be working in two adjoining Boroughs delivering Travel Training.
BATS would like to thank Phil Grimsley and Tony Wall of Bexley Council for their invaluable assistance in designing the Travel Training course in Bexley and for the time given by the Chief Executive of BATS, Andrew Grieve and the help from Mr Bill Fairhall our business consultant.
Good luck to the new team and may they have equal success as Bexley.
For information on BATS Travel Training, please see the Travel Training page.
BATS awarded mobility scooters from Mayor of London Olympic Legacy Fund
02/05/2013
We are pleased to announce that BATS have been awarded 5 mobility scooters and a wheelchair by the Mayor of London Olympic Legacy Fund, to be used by our Shop-mobility services in Bexleyheath. Below are a few photos of the celebrations at the Fund event, which also provided an opportunity for Scheme networking.
Changes to booking fee for member groups
25/02/2013
From the 1st March 2013 the £10 booking administration fee for member groups making a minibus booking will be dropped from the BATS group charging schedule.
Andrew Grieve, CEO of BATS said:
We hope this will make group minibus bookings more affordable for outings being planned in the Spring and Summer, particularly for the smaller unfunded community groups in Bexley. The Trustee Board of BATS will be reviewing the BATS membership fees soon and we hope to create a more simplified system of mileage charges in time for the new season.
BATS 'Out and About Car Club' Video
10/12/12
Recently, we reached semi-finalist status in our Nesta bid to help fund our 'Out and About Car Club': a personal car transport scheme to benefit the elderly and aid independant living, through safe transport to such places as Age UK 'pop in parlours', community events, Hospital, GP and health centre appointments and to shop mobility for shopping in Bexleyheath.
The scheme will operate using section 19 permits (for hire and reward and not for profit) and based on a fixed rate fare. The service user will have the opportunity of either a voluntary or paid driver but at differing rates. This initative falls in line with the introduction of the personalisation agenda by the local authority and individual budgets for travel and gives freedom of choice to the service user, the ability to go shopping, meet friends and pursue hobbies and interests.
The scheme will also include timebanking for drivers. This will allow drivers to build up an allowance of driving time which they can use on journeys for a designated family member. Cars will also be fitted tracking devices so only drivers in the immediate area of the service user will be contacted, thus minimising fuel wasteage.
To compete in the next stage of the application, we were required to make a 2-minute video to clearly explain the benefits of the scheme.
Andrew Grieve gives Health-on-Wheels presentation at Westminster
05/12/12
Today, BATS Chief Executive Andrew Grieve was invited by Westminster Briefing to give a presentation on BATS Health on Wheels Project, Patient and Integrated Transport in Bexley.
The meeting was entitled:Improving Patient Transport Services: Local and Community-Led Schemes and was Chaired by: Mr Barrie Taylor, Expert Scrutiny Advisor, Centre for Public Scrutiny.
The morning session also featured presentations on Community Transport from Ewan Jones, CTA UK Deputy Chief Executive, Faryal Velmi, Director of Transport for All and Gary Parker Director of Bexley based consultancy, CNT Associates who spoke about funding opportunities for Community Transport in the heath sector.
The day as well attended by delegates from local authorities and health-care trusts from around the country. The afternoon session featured Andrew Grieve and Joe Sheehan, Managing Director from Medical Services, a large ambulance company who spoke about future possibilities of private patient transport integrating with Community Transport in joint projects.
Celebrating Olympic and Paralympic Shuttle Buses
03/12/12
Today, Community Transport schemes from all over London who participated in the Olympic and Paralympic Games Shuttle Bus Services, came together for a celebration at The London Mayors HQ, City Hall.
The event arranged by Anna Whitty CEO of ECT Charity, was sponsored by Transport for All and TFL and a good time was enjoyed by all who attended. Many thanks to Anna and her team for the hard work in managing the Olympic and Parlympic Shuttle Bus Service and arranging this celebration event.
Nikki Wakeford, BATS Travel Training Manager, gave a good speech about the BATS Shuttle bus contribution and how our staff who were involved felt really deflated at the end of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, rather like 'the feeling of returning from a once-in-a-lifetime holiday'!
Nikki Wakeford, BATS Travel Training Manager, delivering her speech.
BATS are pleased to announce that we have been awarded 'semi-finalist' status on an application bid to Nesta. The application bid was for money to assist with a shared car service, 'Bexley Out and About', which will operate on a pool of volunteer drivers. BATS were within the top 25 of over 200 organisations who applied.
Andrew Grieve, CEO of BATS said:
I am delighted that BATS have reached the semi-final of this prestigious Nesta 'Ageing Well' competition; any funding secured will help to provide affordable social mobility for older people living in the borough to get out and about safely and enjoy their lives.
BATS, Croydon Accessible Transport (CAT) and Lewisham Community Transport Scheme (LCTS) are collaborating to provide transport provision in the borough of Bromley, after the closure of Bromley Community Transport. The CT Schemes are planning a joint Community Transport event, to be hosted by Community Links in Bromley, to identify the voluntary sector requirements for transport in the Borough.
New contract with MIND, Bromley
24/10/12
BATS are delighted to have secured a new contract with MIND in Bromley to manage their transport services to day centres in Penge, West Wickham and Giggs Hill Orpington. The service is being managed in partnership with Croydon Accessible Transport (CAT).
Andrew Grieve, BATS CEO said:
I hope this will be the start of many collaborative projects between our two like-minded Community Transport Schemes.
Changes to Hop 'n' Shop
22/10/12
The Hop 'n' Shop service is now operating on two extra days per week, Monday and Thursday (9.30 am - 2.30pm), in Thamesmead to transport Gallions Housing Trust tenants to shopping opportunites in Abbey Wood, Thamesmead and Woolwich town centre. The service is free to Gallions Housing Trust tenants and will continue for the next 2 - 3 year period while the local shops at Tavy Bridge are being demolished and rebuilt.
For more information on this service, please see the Hop 'n' Shop page.
Travel Training Video
19/10/2012
This video gives a insight into our Travel Training service and features interviews with BATS CEO Andrew Grieve, Headteachers, Road Safety Personnel from Bexley Council, Police staff and children who have used the Service.
The footage gives an overview of all stages of Travel Training: the initial classroom-learning stage, going out with accredited Travel Trainers who explain hazards and encourage children to make informed road safety decisions, to going out in the 'Big Red Bus' (See Post:13/06/2012 - Big Red Bus Day ) and how to stay safe on public transport.
For more information on this service, please see our Travel Training page.
If you would like to recommend persons to the Travel Training service or would like further information, please use our contact form to make an enquiry or contact Nikki Wakeford, Bexley Independent Travel Manager (nikki.wakeford@bexleyct.co.uk) directly.
BATS provides Shuttle Buses for 2012 Olympic Games
31/08/2012
BATS has provided accessible shuttle buses for the 2012 Olympic Games in July, August and September this year.
The One Team at Woolwich Artillery Barracks
Accessible Shuttle stop in Woolwich Town Centre
Client using a shuttle at the Artillery Barracks
One Team Shuttle Bus Manager Roger Tanner surveying the weather!
The buses operated several times an hour between Woolwich Arsenal Station and the Woolwich Royal Artillery Barracks to provide transport for wheelchair users and those with mobility problems to attend the shooting events.
BATS buses and drivers also served other Olympic venues in Green Park, Hyde Park and at Leigh on Sea in Essex where Mountain Biking was taking place.
Andrew Grieve, CEO of BATS said:
We are very pleased to have had the experience of working at the 2012 Olympic Games - the staff really enjoyed the work and we hope that this will lead to a legacy of new work of this type in the future for BATS and other community transport schemes in London.
BATS Travel Training initiative wins backing from Bexley Council
30/08/12
Innovative charity, Bexley Accessible Transport Scheme (BATS) has been awarded £100,000 by the London
Borough of Bexley to develop a brand new travel training operation, which will deliver high quality
travel training services initially to Special Educational Needs children of senior school age.
The award which is part of the Council's Performance Reward Grants scheme, will help BATS develop a bespoke programme
of travel training for children, enabling them to use public bus services to travel to and from school each day.
The travel trainers are given in-house and course-based training leading to accredited qualifications and normally one trainer is allocated to two children. The children receive pavement and route training with their trainers and attend a 'Red Bus Day' (see post below) before being collected and taken to school by public bus transport. When ready to travel on their own, the children are shadowed by their trainers before being 'signed-off' by their school head-teacher and parents/carers to travel independently.
The course is supported by the Bexley Safer Neighbourhoods Police and the Transport for London Travel Training Forum.
Andrew Grieve, Chief Executive Officer of BATS said:
We are absolutely delighted by this award - it means we can press ahead with developing travel training for Bexley children. We hope that the outcome of this training will be that the children will be able to lead a more independent and fulfilling life.
For more information on this service, please see the Travel Training page.
BATS Shopmobility receives £6215 donation from Bexleyheath Shopping Center
17/07/12
The Manager of Bexleyheath Shopping Center, Peter Sedge, today presented a cheque for £6215 as a donation towards the continued operation of BATS' Shopmobility service. Pictured are BATS' CEO Andrew Grieve and Peter Sedge.
BATS Big Red Bus Day
13/06/12
Students from Woodside School in Belvedere recently enjoyed a day of practical learning on how to make independent journeys.
The children from years 7, 8 and 9 spent the morning on a London bus, re-enacting common scenarios and being taught how to deal with them safely. They had help and advice from Safer Transport Police officers.
In the afternoon they were given the first in a series of pedestrian skills training lessons, in which they were taught about good places to cross a road and then practiced how to do so safely.
Kieran Johnstone age 13 said:
I learn't not to tell strangers anything about myself and to not bring attention to myself if I'm out on my own. I really want to more training now on how to cross different types of road.
The initiative was organised by Bexley Accessible Transport Scheme (BATS), and was funded by the London Borough of Bexley through a performance grant. The bus was provided free of charge by Plumstead bus garage.
Cllr Katie Perrior, Cabinet Member for Children's Services said:
Although the majority of these children use BATS to get to and from school, we want to help them become more independent and safer when out and about as they become older, giving them essential skills for life.
Woodside School provides an education for pupils who have cognitive learning difficulties which includes pupils on the Autistic Spectrum.
BATS offers a related training service, BITS (Bexley Independent Travel Scheme), which provides training in using public transport, road and personal safety when undertaking journeys. BITS Travel Training is available to socially-disadvantaged children, children and adults with learning, mobility, mental health or sensory difficulties in Bexley and can be booked by a Special Needs School, Care Provider or by Bexley Council to assist an individual to become independent and confident using public transport. Look at our travel training service page for more infomation.
For further infomation please use our contact form to make an enquiry or contact Nikki Wakeford (nikki.wakeford@bexleyct.co.uk) directly.
