Cloudberry Communities, a Community Interest Company supporting vulnerable people across North Lanarkshire has been awarded £35,000 from SP Energy Networks’ Transmission Net Zero Fund to create a new community-run car club.
- Glasgow’s own Michelle McManus teams up with SP Energy Networks to celebrate Cloudberry Communities’ new community car club
- Team of volunteer drivers set to transport 100’s of vulnerable local residents to vital medical appointments which are not easily accessible with public transport
- New EV helps plug the gap in public transport provision across North Lanarkshire thanks to £35K funding boost from SP Energy Networks’ Transmission Net Zero Fund
The grant has funded the purchase of an electric vehicle which volunteer drivers will use to transport members of the community to GP and health centre clinics. Operating in an area with limited bus and train routes, the new car club will provide a vital means of transportation for 100’s of vulnerable residents including those affected by mobility issues or people experiencing transport poverty.
To celebrate the milestone, Michelle McManus visited the Cloudberry team to learn about the scheme’s positive impact on the local area.
Five volunteer drivers have already signed up to the programme, donating their time to offer sustainable transport to essential medical appointments as well as weekly health centre clinics run across Chryston and Moodiesburn.
The new scheme offers an affordable transport solution and will help ease costs for individuals and households across the region who rely on the car club’s volunteer services. The car also offers a carpooling resource, providing transport access to community programmes such as local Men’s Shed groups, community pantries and wellbeing support groups.
Speaking on the impact of the funding, Claire Williams, Director at Cloudberry Communities said: “We’ve only had the car for a few months and the positive effect it’s had, has been immeasurable.
“We know firsthand how challenging the lack of public transport in the area can be. Often journeys that would take ten minutes by car can take well over an hour and involve multiple buses – for more vulnerable members of the community who need to make those trips regularly, it’s just not sustainable.
“This new vehicle provides people with an affordable and sustainable means of getting where they need to be. We’re incredibly grateful to SP Energy Networks for their support in making it possible, as well as our amazing volunteer drivers who selflessly donate their time to help those who need it.”
Michelle met with the team at Cloudberry to take a drive around Chryston in the new electric vehicle to find out more about how the scheme works and the widespread community benefits which are already being felt by those who use the service.
Commenting on the project, Michelle said: “The work Cloudberry is doing is inspirational. While it might seem like a simple thing, this car is directly improving the lives of those who use it by making it easy to get to vital medical appointments.
“With the support of SP Energy Networks’ Transmission Net Zero Fund, Cloudberry is helping to address the problems created by a lack of public transport in the area and it’s clear from spending even a short amount of time with its volunteers just how impactful this new project is.”
A host of charities and organisations supporting vulnerable communities across Scotland have received tailored capacity building support and been awarded funding from SP Energy Networks’ Transmission Net Zero Fund to support their transition to low-carbon energy solutions and ensure no one is left behind when it comes to net zero.
Ahead of the project, Cloudberry also took part in one of the fund’s tailored workshops to map out an action plan to turn their vision of a sustainable, community run car club into a reality.
The successful groups are receiving grants to help them decarbonise and reach their net zero targets sooner, with projects ranging from the installation of low carbon technology to electrifying transport and retrofitting listed buildings to increase energy efficiency.
SP Energy Networks owns and operates the electricity transmission and distribution network in Central and Southern Scotland, delivering power to more than two million homes and businesses. The Net Zero Fund has been established through SP Transmission, a subsidiary of SP Energy Networks, responsible for transmitting high-voltage electricity from power stations and windfarms to the low-voltage network across Central and Southern Scotland.
More information about the Net Zero Fund is available at: www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/netzerofund