An introduction to GCT

Green Community Travel (previously Yate, Sodbury and District Community Transport) is a charitable non profit organisation that provides safe, affordable and accessible travel for individuals and groups who are unable to use public transport and would otherwise have no other way of getting around. Any voluntary or community group which meets within the South Gloucestershire can join our Group Travel scheme and make use of our services. Individuals register with the Ring & Ride service, though GCT may provide transport through the voluntary car scheme if that is more appropriate. Charges are based on the total mileage for each journey, calculated to/from the Yate office.

We first started operating in 1989, borrowing local minibuses, particularly that of the local scout group, to provide transport for other community groups.

The following year, South Gloucestershire Council loaned us one of their 16-seaters, which we affectionately called the "bread van", and this became the mainstay of our provision for the next eight years.

Thanks to the fundraising efforts of our volunteers, solid support from South Gloucestershire and Doddington Parish Councils, grants from government initiatives (eg Countryside Agency, Rural Bus Challenge) and various Charity Trusts (including a £111,000 lottery grant), our fleet has grown and we have been able to expand our services to meet the needs of our community.

Ring & Ride, first introduced in 1999, now has evening and weekend services and from 2008 we have been offering a programme of day trips to places of interest including garden centres and tourist locations such as Laycock, Bristol Harbourside and Weston super Mare.

In 2012, we rebranded the organisation as Green Community Travel. We hope this will enable us to attract a broader source of funding through sponsorship, grants and donations as well as remove any misconceptions about the geographical area we are able to cover.

Green Community Travel would not be possible without the volunteers who drive or accompany passengers on our buses, deal with telephone calls and paperwork in the office and help us with our fundraising. If you have a few hours to spare each week, why not join us in making a real difference to people's lives?