Chatterbus in the Community
What is Chatterbus?
Chatterbus hit the roads around Cobham in April 2015. Until then, because of poor public transport, many people in the area without their own car had severe difficulty in accessing vital services such as the JobCentre, healthcare, economical shops and other transport links, not to mention friends and
social events, especially across the A3 to Weybridge where a bus service was non-existent. There wasn’t even public transport between Cobham and Stoke D’abernon station and the town.
It came as a shock to realise not only the impact of transport poverty, but also how prevalent it
was in our own town. We all take so much for granted our ability to get to where we need to go.
was in our own town. We all take so much for granted our ability to get to where we need to go.
Now the carefully devised timetable provides a reliable service to commuters and school children at
each end of the working day, but above all, to those for whom the everyday task of getting around
presents such a huge challenge.
Why Cobham loves its Chatterbus
Chatterbus passengers have been telling us why they like the Chatterbus and what a difference it has made to them. Click on the Chatterbus below to play the video.
How do we help those in need?
- Chatterbus is a registered charity. While operated by a professional bus company,
Chatterbus is run by a board of volunteers, thus cutting costs to the bone. Every penny donated to Chatterbus goes into the running of the bus.
- We are extremely close to the needs of the community – we provide free travel for holders of jobseekers travel cards at any time and, as a new initiative, we are running a three month trial of free travel for families experiencing difficulties. St Andrew’s School, Oasis, and St Mary’s Church Stoke D’Abernon will allocate these tickets.
- Our new bus (our pride and joy!) was selected not least because it offers easy access for wheelchair users and those with pushchairs, and has plenty of room for shopping trolleys.
- We have the best and friendliest drivers in Surrey! For many of our passengers, a journey on Chatterbus is not just a matter of getting from A to B, but a social highlight. For some, it is the only conversation they will have in an otherwise solitary week.
- We are supported by the very generous donations of local bodies, in particular Surrey County Council, Elmbridge Borough Council, Chelsea Football Foundation, and McCarthy & Stone and Levanter Developments, together with many church, community and business
groups.
Our Local Sponsors
Chatterbus could not run without the help of our three major sponsors – Elmbridge Borough Council, Surrey County Council and Chelsea Foundation.
Specsavers and Levanter Developments have recently become sponsors and we thank them for their support.
We are also grateful to the local businesses and churches whose donations have helped us to get this important service off the ground.
