Happy New Year from Bertie Bus!
Celebrating 50 Years of Community Support
The Bertie Bus team would like to wish the local community a Happy New Year and hopes everyone had a wonderful Christmas.
2025 marks a momentous milestone as the charity celebrates 50 years since the founding of what began as ‘Strathcare.’ Initially formed as a collaboration of local groups to coordinate events for residents, Strathcare quickly grew into a vital part of the community. A few years later, the addition of Bertie Bus expanded the group’s ability to provide transport services and social opportunities. In 2023, Strathcare officially rebranded as Bertie Bus to better reflect the essential role Bertie plays in helping service users stay connected, active, and engaged with the wider community.
The Bertie Bus team would love to hear some of your stories from the past 50 years of Strathcare and Bertie Bus. If you have some photos to go along with your story theis could be even better.
All stories and pictures will be greatly received at the Bertie Bus publicity email below:
publicity@bertiebus.org.uk
Stay Tuned for Anniversary Celebrations
To celebrate this incredible 50th year, a variety of events will be held throughout 2025.
Keep an eye out for announcements throughout 2025 and join in making this a year to remember!
Winter Schedule Update
The team would like to remind everyone that there will be no regular bus runs until mid to late February, apart from the lunch Club.
Start times for clubs will be available directly from individual groups. Further details can be received by contacting the Bertie bus secretary using the contact details at the bottom of this article.
Gratitude for End-of-Year Support
The end of 2024 saw generous support from a number of individuals and organisations, whose contributions are essential to keeping Bertie running. – Caledonia Housing Association kindly donated £250 in October. This donation is greatly appreciated.
The Cinema Club also benefited from £1,488 of funding from the PKC Community Investment Fund, securing its operation for the next year. The Bertie team would like to thank Treasurer Fred for compiling the necessary data for this application and Peter for attending the funding meeting to advocate for the club’s importance.
Supporting Veterans on Remembrance Day
In November, the Bertie Bus team had the privilege of supporting a group of veterans during the Remembrance event, escorting them to the war memorial.
The team thoroughly enjoyed hearing their stories and sharing in their camaraderie. The success of this partnership has inspired plans to work with the British Legion again next year to provide similar support for this important event.
Volunteer Drive – Can You Help?
The Bertie Bus team is always looking for new volunteers to help support the community.
Volunteering as a passenger assistant or driver is a deeply rewarding experience, allowing individuals to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. This year, there is a particular focus on recruiting bus drivers. If you have a D1 on your licence (check the back of your photo licence next to D1 if you’re not sure) then the team would love to hear from you.
They are also happy to hear from anyone with some spare time and a heart for helping others. For more information, please contact:
secretary@bertiebus.org.uk
or call: 07716 119414 The Bertie Bus team looks forward to a fantastic 50th Anniversary year ahead and thanks the community for its continued support.
A grant of £2,500 from the PKC Community Transport Fund was also gratefully received. This helps the Bertie team to continue with many aspects of their transport and event provision for their service users.