Sausage makers HECK! have donated a bus to the local community.
The HECK! pink minibus will be used to transport elderly residents to shops, markets and day trips, in a bid to combat rural isolation and support local businesses in nearby market towns.
The family-owned sausage and burger company is making the nine-seater minibus available to anyone with a clean driving licence, enabling them to transport people from local parishes to different locations each week.
The bus can also be booked by other community groups, such as local schools.
The idea for the community scheme stemmed from the time of the Covid pandemic, when the company began making door to door grocery deliveries to isolated residents unable to get out to a shop themselves.
“We realised how much rural isolation there is in our local community, so we started to look at different ways to support people after the pandemic,” said HECK! co-founder Jamie Keeble.
“We started having community lunches and getting involved with ‘souper’ Fridays in the village hall, serving lunches and getting people together to socialise.
“Our community ambassador Becky started talking about what else we could do to help and transport was high on the agenda.”
Reverend James Gyn-Thomas, the parish rector, said: “Many locals explained at our lunches that they struggle to get out with so few bus routes in the area.
“As a result, they felt very isolated, so the team came up with the idea for the pink bus to get people to markets, enabling them to shop, meet up and connect.
“It really is a lifesaver for some, especially the elderly and those living in a rural community.”
The bus was launched yesterday with a visit to Masham, and has attracted support from the Mayor of North Yorkshire, local councillors and Peter Wright from The Yorkshire Vet.
Major of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith said: “It’s well known that people are likely to become more reliant on public transport as they get older – we need to ensure everyone can continue to get to essential services and leisure activities.
“This scheme is a brilliant example of a local business supporting the needs of the local area.”
Thirsk vet Peter Wright, who appears in the Channel 5 series The Yorkshire Vet, said: “As soon as I heard about this initiative, I wanted to support it.
“In my work as a vet and also on the show, we see every day how difficult transport and mobility is for some of our community. I’m looking forward to the inaugural trip.”
The community bus is funded through the HECK! Community Fund, which allocates funds every month to local good causes and also sends the team out and about to support projects.
To register interest in the HECK! community fund, visit www.heckfood.co.uk
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