One of the Australian Communities Foundation’s MacroMelbourne projects is the Hume and Whittlesea Community Shuttle Service. The Service aims to meet critical transport needs in the municipalities of Hume and Whittlesea through a program co-ordinating volunteer drivers and community vehicles. The service is targeting the elderly, people with disabilities, single mothers and young people and will assist people to get to medical appointments, employment, social and recreational activities where there is a lack of accessible public transport. The service is operated by LINK Community Transport and Hume City and City of Whittlesea Councils.
Funding for the service has been provided by Australian Communities Foundation donors, State and local government, local agencies and business, including Ford Australia who donated two vehicles and one individual’s extraordinary generosity towards the project.
A local Craigieburn resident (who wishes to remain anonymous) donated $100,000 to LINK Community Transport to purchase two new buses. One was specifically earmarked for the Craigieburn Community Transport Service and one would be for LINK’s broader community transport service. The donor is a long term Craigieburn resident and is passionate about supporting the Craigieburn community. He is also an avid car enthusiast, being a Ford man through and through. When he heard about Ford Australia supporting the Craigieburn service he decided to donate the money to purchase a new Ford Transit van to help expand the Craigieburn service. The vehicle has been ordered and will be modified to be wheelchair accessible. It will become part of the Craigieburn service in December, 2011.