Smiley Bus Awards

The Morgan Foundation runs a programme to provide minibuses to eligible organisations.

The vehicles are supplied either as standard, or fully adapted for use by physically disabled passengers if required. Recipients are carefully consulted on their needs to ensure the correct adaptations are achieved and all buses are finished with the Morgan Foundation Smiley bus logo and the receiving organisation's name, logo and contact details.

 Recent Smiley Bus Awards

The Barnstondale Centre - Wirral - www.barnstondale.org
...providing children with transport to and from the Centre and to outdoor pursuits activities, whilst on recreational breaks and personal development courses

The Children's Adventure Farm Trust - Millington, Cheshire - www.childrensadventurefarm.org.uk
...a fully adapted bus for disabled children holidaying at the farm, enabling them to access all facilities both on and off site

Chrysalis Holidays - Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside - www.chrysalisholidays.co.uk
Chrysalis provide holidays throughout the year for adults with varying degrees of learning disability. They mainly take place on Anglesey with a variety of different themes from music to outdoor pursuits. As well as people having a good holiday, meeting new people and learning new skills, they also provide respite for carers. The mini bus provided by Morgan will enable Chrysalis to continue to provide a mostly door to door service for everyone.

CIL De Gwynedd - www.pwll.org.uk/cil
Established in 1998 CIL de Gwynedd provides services for disabled people from a large area of Gwynedd. CIL offers training and education for disabled people in information technology, basic life skills, art, music and sport. The centre also provides a safe and comfortable place for socialising and informal get-togethers. Members come from many rural and isolated communities and the provision of a Smiley Bus will ensure that a growing number of members can access services at Cil and its satellite centres across western Gwynedd.

Conwy Community Transport - Conwy
Conwy Community Transport is a daily provider of specialist transport and mobility services to vulnerable children and adults in Conwy. A personal door to door service with well-known trained volunteer drivers is provided, helping disabled, isolated children and older people to access services and facilities and to enjoy a better quality of life. The Morgan Foundation has provided half of the cost of two full adapted disabled minibuses to accommodate wheelchair users.

C-SAW and Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn - www.c-saw.co.uk
C-Saw and Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn, the Regional School for Autism in North Wales will share the Smiley Bus to provide a range of outings and activities for both the children at the school and young adults who attend the C-SAW holiday club and the young person’s social group.

Dynamic - Wrexham - www.dynamicwrexham.com
This Wrexham based charity provides out of school activities for children and young people who suffer from a disability, learning difficulty or life-limiting illness. A wide variety of social and leisure activities, plus various forms of training are offered. Assistance was originally given to enable Dynamic to establish and develop its services. Support for core costs continues, with funding of over £85,000 having been committed to date, plus the provision a fully adapted minibus to transport the youngsters to their various activities.

Ellesmere Port and Neston Community Transport - www.epnct.co.uk
The addition of a fully accessible Smiley Bus to the Ellesmere Port and Neston Community Transport fleet has enabled this organisation to transport even more passengers and community groups who were previously unable to access the fleet’s conventional transport. EP&NCT provides a service to the whole community and brings members of registered groups to their regular meetings, including the Stroke Club, Aquadis, a swimming club for adults with learning difficulties and disabilities, as well as essential shopping trips, hospital and doctor’s appointments for the elderly and for people with limited mobility. Passengers like the cheerful interior colours and have christened the bus “Happy Bus”.

Estuary Voluntary Car Scheme Group
A voluntary community transport service, The Estuary Voluntary Car Scheme was established in 1995 to provide a community transport service to the elderly and infirm in an area covering the coast line from Holywell to Oakenholt and down to the Denbigh/Flintshire border. The majority of passengers are elderly and infirm, some living in isolated rural locations, others in town, but unable to make even the short distance to the doctor’s surgery or supermarket. The Morgan Foundation provided 75% of the cost of a 17-seater Smiley Bus adapted for wheelchair use to this voluntary community transport service.

The Harris Club for the Disabled (Speke)
The Harris Club for the Disabled (Speke) provides accessible transport to convey members to and from their homes for all social events. It gives members, drawn from areas south of Liverpool City centre, the opportunity to enjoy socials, day outings, shopping and theatre visits, together with an annual holiday.

O Ddrws I Ddrws - www.oddrwsiddrws.co.uk
Based in Nefyn in North West Gwynedd, O Ddrws I Ddrws Community Transport provides transport for elderly and disabled people living in the isolated rural areas of the Llyn Peninsular. The Morgan Foundation has provided 50% of the cost of a new wheelchair adapted 12-seater Smiley Bus

Oswestry Community Action
Oswestry Community Action (OCA) is a registered charity whose aim is to improve the quality of life of those members of society who are marginalised through age, disability or rural isolation. OCA provides several vital community transport services including Dial-a-Ride, a wheelchair accessible transport service enabling many elderly and disabled passengers to get to medical appointments, shops, day centres and to visit friends and relatives. The service is run by a dedicated team of volunteer drivers and escorts who provide an excellent, caring service to our passengers. The Morgan Foundation has provided 50% of the costs of a 17-seater wheelchair accessible minibus.

St Christopher’s School Wrexham
A special needs school in Wrexham, St Christopher’s looks for every possible avenue to enhance the life experience of each one of the pupils, drawing out whatever qualities each might have and taking everyone forward in an inclusive atmosphere. A 17-seater wheelchair accessible minibus has been provided to assist with transport, taking children to work experience in local colleges, for swimming therapy, independent living trips, to the school’s environmental project, to gardening contracts for pensioners in town, horse riding lessons and for various after school and weekend activities.

Save the Family - North Wales and Chester - www.savethefamily.uk.com
...for transporting previously homeless children and families to and from school, work and many other everyday activities

St Paul's Age Integration Project
A project working to reduce isolation and loneliness amongst older people in Croxteth. A range of activities include a weekly drop-in and pensioners meetings, craft mornings for older people, younger people and their carers and people with learning difficulties, a monthly meal, talks, day trips and social evenings as well as IT and educational courses. 50% of the cost of a Smiley Bus has been granted to help develop capacity and increase access to activities.

Tir Morfa School
Ysgol Tir Morfa is a Community Special School located in Rhyl, North Wales with 150 pupils aged between 3 and 19. The school provides a full curriculum which includes access to the local community and environment in order to enhance and support learning experiences. The provision of a 17 seater, wheelchair accessible mini-bus will transform the opportunities available to pupils of all ages with physical and medical needs. It will mean that they will be able to attend hydrotherapy and swimming sessions, take part in a wide variety of visits and attend horse riding sessions. Additionally, the school will now be able to offer residential experiences to all pupils.

Welsh Border Community Transport
Welsh Border Community Transport aims to provide accessible transport facilities within the County of Flintshire and the surrounding areas for the use of Charitable Organisations and other Community Groups for carrying out Charitable purposes or individuals who have special need of such facilities because they are disabled, sick, elderly or living in isolated areas where there are no adequate public transport facilities.