£50m funding to improve existing transport services for disabled people across the UK

Motability has announced that it will award a total of £50 million in funding over three financial years, ending in March 2025, to charities and organisations across the UK that can help fill gaps in existing transport services for disabled people.

The Brittle Bone Society (BBS), Interloch Community Transport and Sheppey Matters are the first charities to be awarded funding from its grant programmes specifically set up for other charities and organisations who support the transport needs of disabled people.

These three grants, totalling more than £773,000, are the first that Motability has announced as its team continues to review more applications for funding.

The Brittle Bone Society is the main charity set up to address the needs of people born with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI).

Patricia Osborne, the charity’s CEO, said: “This amazing grant from Motability means we can get the right wheelchairs for individuals almost immediately!

“Our previous process worked, and we cannot thank all those Trusts enough, whom we worked with over many years to do that.

“However, the size of this Motability grant means we no longer need to apply to several Grant Givers for each individual application, while people waited for those last portions of funding to come through.

“This will radically speed up the process meaning they won’t have to wait.”

Based in Scotland, Interloch Community Transport provides door-to-door transport services using a number of wheelchair accessible vehicles.

Alan MacRaild, Interloch’s CEO, said: “This funding is a huge boost for us, not just for the short term but also in helping secure our organisation for the next three years.

“Our members will continue to have peace of mind and that is priceless to us. Having a community transport service like Interloch gives people back their independence and helps them overcome the obstacles and barriers that often come with age and disability.”

Supporting communities in and around the Isle of Sheppey, Sheppey Matters provides health and well-being services. The Motability grant will support the charity’s expansion of its transport services.

Sheppey Matters CEO, Nigel Martin, said: “Transport in Sheppey can be expensive and unreliable. For our disabled users, this can be very limiting and can leave people feeling isolated.

“The grant for the new minibus will have a big impact on what we can do for the local community.

“It really will change lives for people on the Isle of Sheppey.”

Recently, the golbal car market faced challenges which has strongly affected Motability Scheme customers’ orders and their ability to carry out everyday tasks outside of the household.