A Brief History Of Ogwr Transport for Elderly or Disabled

Towards the end of 1988, the local branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society wrote to Mid-Glamorgan County Council asking if they could hire out to the branch coaches and drivers to convey its disabled members and carers to meetings and on outings.

The Chief Executive replied some time later that they were unable to do this, but indicated that they were aware of the general need; he suggested that the way forward was for us to form a cooperative with other similar groups for the purpose. At that time there was no umbrella organisation, so there the matter rested for a while.

In 1990, local Social Services called a meeting of all interested groups, some fifteen representatives attended and a small working party was set up under the aegis of Ogwr Borough Council. Coincidentally, Age Concern locally had been given a 16­ seater coach, and they asked us to manage it for them. Other contacts were made and the enterprise got under way. All involved were unpaid volunteers. Gradually, the client base grew, and running costs were kept to a minimum. A loan enabled the purchase of a second coach, and thought was given to formalising what was becoming rather a lot for our small group to handle.

In 1991, Social Services helped to prepare a formal constitution. OTED was incorporated as a company on 12th August, and gained charitable status on 9 th September, with the original four people acting as Trustees/Directors. Another three people were recruited and the organisation expanded its workload over the next four years. Volunteer numbers were depleted by the tragic deaths of no less than four of the group in this period. Replacements with suitable people with time to spare were hard to come by. Somehow, most of our commitments were fulfilled, but the future looked uncertain.

In 1995, an article about OTED, our aims and present circumstances, appeared in the South Wales Echo. Two people with financial and business backgrounds responded and things gradually began to improve. Garage premises were hired so that the vehicles were no longer kept on private property. Grants and loans enabled the eventual purchase of the garage. Crucially, additional Trustees/Directors were recruited, all unpaid volunteers, some of whom acted as drivers also.

As the demand for our services has grown, additional vehicles have been bought, and a small number of paid drivers have had to be employed to keep up with the load. Administration is now handled by an employed Co-ordinator, who looks after a mountain of office paperwork and controls the many invoices.

Now, in 2006, the unpaid Trustees/Directors maintain the basic ethos of voluntary service to the elderly and disabled in our community.