Shaftesbury Refugee Group
Transport Grants
The need
Shaftesbury Refugee Group, (SRG) knows that public transport is limited in our area. Some essential journeys can be difficult to make. Alternatives to public transport, such as owning a vehicle or taking a taxi, can be expensive for refugees.
Transport Grants
We are a small charity that has the ability to award grants. Our grants are small but they can help people with travel. Our charity does not have big resources, so there is no guarantee of a grant if our funds are low, but we will do our best to support where we can.
Eligibility
Our grants are available to refugees and displaced people in Shaftesbury, Gillingham, Motcombe and the surrounding villages including Tisbury and Mere, Chicklade and Fontmell and the East and West Stour villages. If in doubt about your eligibility, apply anyway.
Subsidised taxi grants
For important and essential journeys, where there is no alternative public transport and attempts to get lifts from friends have failed, we will pay up to 75% of a taxi fare.
The taxi journey could be part of a longer journey, to connect you to the train stations in Gillingham or Tisbury or to get to a transport hub like Wincanton or Shaftesbury.
The journey could be:
to a hospital appointment at a difficult time
to get to a parent meeting at a school.
to go to an education event or training.
to go to a job interview or some other significant life event.
We will build up an idea of the good reasons for giving the grant through experience, so apply if you are in doubt about the possibility of a grant.
To apply for the subsidised taxi grant:
Write to shaftesburyrefugeegroup@gmail.com and make clear in your e-mail:
The journey’s start and end points
The date of the journey
The reason for the journey
The likely cost of the journey, by getting quotes from taxi companies
The person taking the journey
The name and details of the bank account the grant should be paid into
We will reply quickly to any grant request, so try to wait until you have heard from us before expecting the grant.
We do not like to give a grant after a journey has taken place but if you are facing an emergency we will try to help later. If you want to check, then you can call Stuart on 07340934921 and we will see what we can do.
Personal transport grants
We do not have the resources to help people buy a car or even a small motorbike but we know that a small amount of starter money can make it seem possible. We can award a grant of up to £200 to help a refugee buy personal transport such as a bicycle, e-bike, moped or car. The grant can be used for the purchase of a vehicle or for protective equipment such as a crash helmet or high visibility clothing. Personal transport grants depend on the main use for the vehicle, for example to get to a place of work. We will build up an idea of the good reasons for giving the grant through experience, so apply if you are in doubt about the possibility of a grant.
To apply for the personal transport grant:
Write to shaftesburyrefugeegroup@gmail.com and make clear in your e-mail:
How a grant will help you with your personal transport needs
The types of journeys your personal transport is mainly needed for
Driving licence grants
When you are ready to gain a licence to drive in the UK we will help you with some of the necessary steps such as the Provisional Licence, ‘Theory Test’, Driving Lessons and Driving Test. We can provide a grant of up to £350 for this.
To apply for the driving licence grant:
Write to shaftesburyrefugeegroup@gmail.com and make clear in your e-mail what you will need the grant for, e.g.
£43:for a provisional licence
£23 for a motorcycle or car theory test (you do not need a theory test to convert from an automatic to manual licence)
£220 for about 4 X 2 hour driving lessons at £55 per lesson
£62-£75 for a driving test depending upon whether it is a weekday or the weekend
We will make the full grant award once you show evidence that you have started to apply for your driving licence: for example you have received a provisional licence or passed your theory test.
The Trustees
Shaftesbury Refugee Group
1st February 2023