Director / Trustee - Volunteer

Join to apply for the Director / Trustee - Volunteer role at WEST OXFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY TRANSPORT West Oxfordshire Community Transport Limited (WOCT) is a Community Benefit Society. Passengers are mostly elderly and disadvantaged, plus students and commuters. Operations are run by a CEO (qualified Transport Manager), an Ops Manager, paid bus drivers, and a part‑time Administrator. What difference will you make? Our impact on the local community is huge because our vitally important services help disadvantaged people go about their daily lives. We run half hourly bus services for six days a week around Witney and up to the Wychwoods. The majority of our passengers are the elderly whom we help to go about their daily lives. This is mainly getting into Witney so that they can shop, visit friends, and the doctors, and to keep active. Challenges The deteriorating condition of local roads has caused frequent suspension and tyre damage, leading to last‑minute diversions or even temporary route closures. Un‑notified roadworks have also disrupted services. While we aim to run all town services with fully accessible low‑floor buses, occasional breakdowns have meant this isn’t always possible. That said, we’ve kept rural services accessible wherever feasible, using low or mid‑floor vehicles. Importantly, Oxfordshire County Council’s financial support for the Witney and Carterton town routes has been a welcome help in maintaining these vital services. Financial Bank balance at year‑end was a healthy £35k. Fare income rose modestly by 2% to £151k. Fuel costs more than halved thanks to the new buses, delivering environmental and cost benefits. Maintenance costs remain stubbornly high, despite expectations of a drop with the new fleet. Hold £66k in unrestricted reserves and strengthening reserves is a key focus. Achievements Fleet modernisation – Thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund and Oxfordshire County Council, we added three new minibuses. Two are fully PSVAR‑compliant low‑floor Fiat Ducatos with wheelchair space, and one is a mid‑floor Peugeot. Real‑Time Passenger Information – We are now integrated with the Bus Open Data Service, so passengers can track our buses in real time via apps and at bus stop displays. Environmental progress – All new vehicles meet Euro 6 emission standards, have improved fuel efficiency, and have resolved earlier teething problems. Passenger Growth Overall, passenger numbers rose by 0.7% compared to last year — a small but positive increase given the operational hurdles. The Future WOCT will continue to argue for the provision of small‑scale, passenger‑friendly transport to communities not suited to large buses. Seek funding and partnerships to extend services to more West Oxfordshire villages. Build financial resilience through better reserves and diversified income streams. Maintain our commitment to accessibility, environmental responsibility, operational safety, and strong community engagement. What are we looking for? Ideally the volunteer would have experience of being a director or trustee of a small charity and carrying out associated activities that generally help the organisation to flourish. However, an applicant with the right qualities could well be effective. What will you be doing? West Oxfordshire Community Transport (WOCT) is a community‑owned co‑operative, running nine bus routes across the district and providing vital transport links for the local community. The Board of volunteers directs the running of the organisation and meets at about 6 weekly intervals. Importantly, directors individually lead and supervise aspects of the operation such as fund‑raising, financial management, vehicle operations, health and safety, etc. The main focus of the Board is ensuring that we remain solvent. Our basic income is grant funding from the various authorities from County Council to Parish Council. This is renewed annually and can never be guaranteed with the result that directors and officers devote considerable time to lobbying council officials and councillors. Our last capital purchases (3 new buses) were funded, in part, from a National Lottery grant of £120k. Our current focus for the fleet is exploring electrification of the combustion engines to improve reliability, reduce operating costs and improve our environmental footprint. Oxford County Council is strongly in favour of electrification and is prepared to consider a grant application from WOCT. In summary, we face notable operational and financial pressures, but we continue to make significant progress A more modern, greener, accessible fleet. Strong growth on several key routes. Solid community support and healthy cash reserves despite the accounting deficit. We continue our vital work connecting communities, reducing isolation, whilst ensuring that local transport remains accessible, dependable and environmentally sustainable. #J-18808-Ljbffr