British Gypsum has backed the Fellrunner bus service for a second time.
The firm’s Kirkby Thore site has donated £2,000 to the volunteer-run service which offers transport for people in isolated communities between Penrith and Carlisle.
After donating £5,000 to the Fellrunner bus service in 2021 and seeing the positive effect on the local community, the team at British Gypsum’s Kirkby Thore site decided to contribute more.
While last year’s donation helped keep the service afloat in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest funds will continue to support its vital work.
The Fellrunner, which runs from Tuesdays to Fridays, was established by a local vicar in 1979 after several buses in the area were withdrawn. Despite receiving some financial support from the local council, the bus service currently operates at a loss.
The majority of the service’s users are women between the ages of 60 and 80. However, the service is open to those of all ages, with under-16s travelling free of charge.
About 200 people use the service each week, resulting in around 10,000 passenger journeys each year. In 2021, the organisation was awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, recognising an ‘outstanding achievement by a group of volunteers’.
Chairman of the Fellrunner bus service, Kevin McGilloway, said: “For many of our customers, the bus is their transport lifeline, allowing them to get into town to shop, collect prescriptions, get money and keep appointments. Without the bus they would be stuck and reliant on family and friends – if they have them. Our service helps local residents maintain their independence and deals with issues like rural isolation and rural poverty.
“Every year we have a funding gap of around £5,000 between what it costs to run the service and the income that comes in from fares and bus pass use. Without financial help from a group of supporters like British Gypsum, we would not be able to continue our services. This recent donation will go towards keeping our services running for another year.”
