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“They even put my seatbelt on,” she adds. “They couldn’t do
more for me – I almost expected a cup of tea to arrive!”
Why I love driving
passengers like Jean
Staying sociable
When Jean discovered that she could use ECT’s minibus
service for personal journeys as well as health appointments,
she made a booking to travel to a lunch club hosted by her
local church in South Ealing. “The club is for people who
don’t get out. It’s nice – I can sit there and chat, and I love
meeting new people,” says Jean. “ECT has made me much
more independent than before.”
Spreading the word
Earlier on in life, Jean spent 25 years caring for elderly
people, which has made her enthusiastic about encouraging
others to use ECT. “I know the loneliness that elderly people
can sometimes feel, but this bus gives them an opportunity
to leave their homes and socialise,” she says.
“I asked a lady if she would like to get involved today, and
she said, ‘Oh no, that’s not for me, I’m only 88!’”. But Jean
is proud to say that ECT is for her. “Like that lady, at first I
thought, ‘Is this for me?’ – but you’ve got to realise that this
is a route to independence.”
Atif Mughal was working in insurance and looking
for a career change when he became interested in
becoming a community transport driver. “I wanted a
job that was more than just sitting in an office and
involved seeing daylight!” he says.
Atif has now been working full-time at ECT for three
years. His role is to ensure that passengers with
varying mobility needs arrive safely at destinations
across Ealing – to health appointments,
supermarkets or just to meet up with friends for a
cup of tea.
“For me, the best part of the job is connecting
with people,” he says. “They regularly tell me how
pleased they are to see me – often, they haven’t
been out all week.”
ECT is looking for new people to join their team of
caring drivers. If a part-time or full-time role sounds
like it could be for you, get in touch today!
What we do and why it matters
“As a local charity, ECT provides safe,
accessible and affordable journeys to
individuals and groups throughout the
borough of Ealing. Often community
transport is the only way in which people
who are isolated, elderly or have mobility
issues can travel independently.”
Anna Whitty MBE, Chief Executive of
Ealing Community Transport
Do you need help getting around?
If you think that ECT could help you or someone you know
to stay mobile and independent – or if you run a local group
that requires transport – we would love to hear from you.
Call 020 8813 3210
Email [email protected]
Visit www.ectcharity.co.uk