Uppingham Hopper bus service receives £200 from The Co-op
A community bus service received a generous donation from a town shop.
The Co-Op store in Uppingham has been collecting donations from customers and was able to present a cheque for £200 to the Uppingham Hopper team.
Volunteer driver and bus coordinator Dave Ainslie collected the cheque from shop worker Owen Guerin.
He said: “We rely heavily on our dedicated team of unpaid volunteer drivers and in order to pay for fuel, maintenance and insurance we need the financial support of kind individuals, such as generous shoppers at Co-Op.
“We are extremely grateful to the Co-Op for their support, as indeed we are to all our other supporters including the National Lottery and private anonymous donors from the town."
The Uppingham Hopper relies solely on donations and grants to provide a transport service in the town.
Passenger numbers dropped during the pandemic and the bus reverted to other uses, sich as delivering shopping and medication, but shoppers have started to return.
In order to maintain the service, more volunteer drivers are needed. Anyone interested in finding out more about the role can contact Dave Ainslie on 01572 495050.