WEARDALE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP CELEBRATES 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
WEARDALE Community Partnership was set up over 20 years ago by a small group of like-minded
people who, in the aftermath of foot and mouth outbreak which badly affected the area, set up the
voluntary organisation.
On July 30 th , the WCP will celebrate this landmark anniversary with a special event that will be
attended by HM The King’s representative, Mrs Sue Snowdon, Lord Lieutenant of the County along with
Robbie Rodiss, the new Chairman of Durham County Council. The event will be held in the WCP office at
40 Front Street, Stanhope, between 10am and 2pm and everyone is invited to attend.
In the beginning, the WCP operated an office from the Dales Centre in Stanhope followed by a move
to the old Co-op building where they initially had the use of an upstairs office before moving downstairs
to the old baker’s shop next to the MS charity shop. This Hub provided a space where the general public
could access a one stop shop for local transport and other information services, signposting, computer
use and printing service among others, including a knit and Natter group and so much more.
Weardale Community Partnership also identified the need for accessible and flexible transport
which had been seen to work in other areas and so set up Weardale Community Transport (WCT). Its
main aim was to help the inhabitants of Weardale and its neighbourhood who were in need of such a
service because of age, sickness, disability or poverty or because of a lack of availability of adequate and
safe public passenger services. WCT is run as a charity and anybody living in Weardale can become a
member and access the services provided.
The first bus used was a red bus which was on loan and provided a regular – and very popular -trip to
Alston on Sundays. Later, funding was sourced for a second bus and the organisation grew from that
point. The fleet now has 12 buses and two cars with MIDAS-trained drivers operating them alongside
the ambulance service providing help to the North East Ambulance Service, which, in turn, provides
extra income for the charity.
Both WCP and WCT have grown despite setbacks such as the covid outbreak and continues to help
the people of Weardale. Twenty years of providing accessible and cost-effective transport for people
who are socially isolated throughout Weardale. The fleet is also available for self-drive hire if required
too.
The weekly Community Trip Club, taking members out and about for shopping, a meal or visits to
places of interest with a local volunteer driver and passenger assist remains very popular. The Dial-a-
ride for help with appointments and journeys from A to B in the Weardale area is also well used.
This year WCT launched an exciting new project – the new Eco Car Club, which offers the new electric
Nissan Leaf car ‘Aphrodite’. As part of the Eco Car Club, members can access the car based outside of
The Hub in Stanhope and a driver or non-driver using one of our volunteers. This provides a cost-
effective alternative to running a second car or can be accessed for as little or as much as required and
can be booked through a simple online system or through The Hub at a low hourly cost.
WCT runs the operation from The Hub in Stanhope where members or the general public can drop in
for help with booking trips or other Weardale Hub services such as photocopying, signposting to local
noticeboard, internet and computer use and tourist leaflets.
Weardale Community Transport is often described by members as a ‘lifeline’ or ‘lifesaver’ and over
the years has served countless members of the Weardale community not only with providing important
medical journeys but helping with social wellbeing for many otherwise lonely and isolated individuals.
A small group of local people had a vision 20 years ago to fill a gap in the local transport system and
have worked voluntarily over the years to build WCT into the success it is today. The 20 th anniversary
event will be to celebrate that and to try and help keep the organisation running far into the future.
All members and volunteers as well as volunteer directors past and present are invited to the event.
