Harlow and Epping Community Transport
Harlow & Epping Community Transport provides friendly, accessible and affordable transport for Harlow residents who cannot use public buses, helping them stay connected, independent and active. Services include Dial‑a‑Ride and group travel, enabling people to reach shops, medical appointments, social activities and community groups.
What will the Kao SEED Fund support?
The project Driving Community Connections – Volunteer support for Harlow community aims to strengthen this core offer by expanding the volunteer driver programme over four months. The focus is on increasing the organisation’s capacity to meet growing local demand, reduce journey refusals and ensure vulnerable residents are not left isolated due to lack of transport. By investing in volunteers, the project directly supports community wellbeing, inclusion and independence for people who might otherwise be cut off from everyday services and opportunities.
By focusing on volunteer support rather than vehicles or equipment, the project creates flexible, people‑centred capacity that can respond to varied community needs.
Who is the project helping support?
The project will primarily support older people, disabled residents and others in Harlow who lack access to public transport and rely on community services to get around. Many use Harlow Community Transport to attend vital medical appointments, shop for essentials and take part in social or community activities that reduce loneliness. The service currently supports around 2,000 passengers each month, but limited volunteer capacity means about 10% of journey requests have to be turned away, leaving some individuals isolated or unable to reach essential services. By expanding the volunteer driver programme, the project aims to reach around 200 additional people per month, reducing waiting times and refusals. This will particularly benefit those most at risk of social exclusion, helping them stay connected, active and independent in their own communities.
Impact of the project
The project is expected to increase the number of passengers supported and reduce the proportion of journey requests refused due to lack of drivers. Success will be monitored using the organisation’s booking system, which tracks passenger numbers, journey types, completed trips and declined requests, providing clear evidence of change. Qualitative impact will be captured through regular feedback and conversations with passengers and volunteers. Overall, a stronger volunteer base will enable more residents to attend appointments, join activities and maintain independence, demonstrating a tangible improvement in local quality of life.