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Provincial Charity Steward
P r o v i n c ia l C h a ri t y S t e w a r d

Essex Freemasons help transport in Castle Point

Essex Freemasons have just completed a £15,000 donation to the Castle Point Social Car Scheme (CPSCS) to provide
transport options for the elderly and disabled in Castle Point.

The Scheme, started in 1997, has a fleet of 6 vehicles, 3 mini-buses and 3 disability cars driven by 3 employed drivers
and 27 volunteer drivers, along with many more volunteers to help the passengers. With these vehicles and volunteers
the “Car Scheme” offers transport and trips for the elderly and disabled in Castle Point. For a small membership fee
over 1,000 residents are able to book car journeys at a reduce cost as well as places on minibuses for daytrips around
Essex. The journeys can be for hospital visits or even holidays, and the planned trips allow members to visit beauty spots,
shopping centres, garden centres etc.

This is an invaluable service to the residents of Castle
Point and apart for the small annual membership
fee and reduced mileage cost the “Car Scheme”
is financed by fund raising and donations. The
“Car Scheme” needs around £140,000 per year
to support this valuable resource, which supplies
around 6,500 journeys per year.

Chairman Alan Beale said that “Now the pandemic
and restrictions are over I get a lot of members
saying that they just want to get out and visit places.
This makes this service even more important for the
members, particularly for their quality for life and
mental health.”

Chris Hicks, Provincial Charity Steward for Essex,
said,” This is a good example of Freemasons
supporting the community in Essex, particularly
the vulnerable. The donation comes from the
more than £1 Million pounds raised each year by
Essex Freemasons through the Masonic Charitable
Foundation”.

Contact details for the CPSC
cp-carscheme@btconnect.com

www.bandontherun.co.uk

Tel: 01621 817 320 or 07802 858843

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