Volunteering & Fundraising

Shipston Link is always interested in hearing from potential volunteer drivers to join our enthusiastic team driving for Service Runs and or Private Hire.

If you have a full driving licence and have a D1 [mini-bus] endorsement, or are eligible to apply for one, please get in touch with us.

There is plenty of training and ongoing support if you drive with The Shipston Link; it would be not an onerous a commitment, many of our drivers might only drive twice a month, usually on the same Route as part of a small sub-team, with colleagues always happy to consider swaps if a particular date doesn’t suit.   Those interested in Private Hire, often to Country Gardens, Shopping Trips or countryside Tours, may also be interested in the occasional late-night element, such as wedding Receptions.

Because we pride ourselves in giving our passengers confidence by being a professional organisation, we do require our drivers to achieve an externally accredited MiDAS Certificate before taking the wheel with fare paying passengers on board.  We achieve this by giving any new driver – vehicle, legislative, driving style and route familiarisation, with a few trips over a number of weeks before mutually agreeing to go forward for a MiDAS Training Day, held normally every 6 months or so, at our expense.

The Training Day, usually held in Shipston Town Council Chamber, includes a morning of theory, concluding with a multiple choice test; lunch; followed by an afternoon of assessed driving, each delegate taking a turn, with the others observing on board, in addition to the Assessor.

More about MiDAS can be found on our training company’s web-site:- https://www.midas-training.org.uk/

The MiDAS Certificate is interchangeable between any (Section 19 & Section 22) Community Transport operators and is valid for 4 years after which a Refresher is required. 

In addition to drivers, we are also looking for people with other skills and experience, ranging from Committee work to Marketing, in particular; Fundraising to Administration, etc.

To register your interest in joining us as a volunteer in any capacity please contact recruitment@shipstonlink.co.uk

We look forward to hearing from you.

Our aim is to provide affordable transport for those without any alternative and those who choose public transport for environmental and convenience reasons.

Our income comes from support by Warwickshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire County Councils, private hirings and fares which we strive to keep to a minimum. However we are always seeking to improve and develop our services and in current national financial circumstances must seek to fund raise from our users and supporters by way of donations and legacies.

If you wish to make a donation, organise fund raising or remember the Link in a Will please contact fundraising@shipstonlink.co.uk