Threat to service

OPERATIONS director Judith Haughton says the minibuses will be off the road without more funds

Voluntary group’s minibuses could be forced off the road

TWO minibuses which transport thousands of young people across Oldham could be forced off the road by a lack of funds.

The two LDV Convoy vans belong to the Oldham Council for Voluntary Youth Service (OCVYS), which taxes, insures and maintains them.

The 12 and 16-seaters are used by a variety of youth organisations such as the scouts, guides, boys’ and girls’ brigades, Oldham Play Action Group, Indian Association youth groups, football clubs, and Skillforce.

Last weekend they were used by the Men Behaving Dadly group from Greenacres, which helps fathers to spend time with their children.

Run by the OCVYS Transport and Travel section, the Shaw-based minibuses will stay parked up unless money can be found to pay an administrator to run the service.

Judith Haughton, the OCVYS operations director for transport and travel, said: “Some of our users have said they will have to close without the minibuses.

“They have carried thousands of young people.

“We need a generous company or a charity to fund the running of the scheme.

“The voluntary organisations have their own drivers, but we need someone to administer the scheme.

“OCVYS is a not-for-profit organisation, but when people hear the name ‘Oldham Council’ they assume we get money from the local authority.

“But it has never given us any funds.

“We have applied to everyone we can think of, every major business in Oldham, but not had any replies. We will put their logos on the vans and acknowledge their help.

“If we can’t get help we will have to stop using them, but hopefully it won’t come to that.”

To get access to more funds the OCVYS minibus scheme is considering becoming a charity and changing its name.

It will meet minibus users on November 13 at Oldham United Reformed Church to outline the difficulties.

Anyone who can offer help can contact Judith on 07976-310083.