Nisa Local Makes a Difference for local care group
The Nisa Local on High Street, Markyate has donated £900 to Markyate and Flamstead Care Group to help run their minibus, via funds raised through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity.
Markyate and Flamstead Care Group offers affordable transport to elderly and disabled residents in the local area via a Care Bus and Care Cars.
The Nisa Local on High Street, Markyate has donated £900 to Markyate and Flamstead Care Group to help run their minibus, via funds raised through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity.
Markyate and Flamstead Care Group offers affordable transport to elderly and disabled residents in the local area via a Care Bus and Care Cars.
The group runs a minibus which transports service users from their homes to the local supermarket on alternate Tuesdays, as well as a
voluntary register of car drivers who take people to appointments with their doctor, dentist, or at the hospital etc.
The Care Bus is also used by community groups within both Markyate and Flamstead, such as the W.I. Allotment Association and the History Society. Both the car and minibus services are non-profit making and any charges made are used to cover expenses. The group also raises funds by holding coffee mornings, bric a brac sales and outings on the minibus , which help a nominal amount each year.
Making a Difference Locally, who funded the donation, is a charity established to support local communities, allowing Nisa-affiliated retailers to support local causes that matter to them with charitable donations. Every time a customer purchases an item from Nisa’s Heritage or Co-op own brand ranges, a proportion of the cost is added to the store’s charity fund, to be donated to a local good cause.
Our main income is totally reliant on donations
Malcom Davies from Markyate and Flamstead Care Group said: “Our main income is totally reliant on donations made by local businesses and residents who donate what they can.
“Although these donations barely cover the cost of running the Care Group; the minibus costs about £2,000 per year just to put it on the road, without diesel costs, and the Care Car part of the group costs about £500 a year to cover phone costs and administration.
“This large donation from Making a Difference Locally is gratefully received and will be used entirely towards the cost of running the Care Bus. A specific item where it could be used would be the Care Bus insurance which costs us £1,100 annually, or the servicing of the bus including the wheelchair tail lift, which is £700 annually.”
Sagar Patel, owner of the Nisa Local store, added: “We are delighted to be able to use our Making a Difference Locally funds to keep the minibus running as it is difficult for the elderly and disabled to get out of the village, for activities, shopping and various other tasks, and by donating we can ensure the bus service keeps running into the future.
“We would like to thank our customers for their continued support, through the purchases of selected products in our stores; as without their support these community donations would not be possible.”