A CHARITY which provides essential transport for people with mobility issues or who live in the remote areas has been given £78,000.

Ryedale Community Transport (RCT), which is based in Norton, has been awarded the money by the Garfield Weston Foundation, after impressing the funder with its innovative services.

The charity provides transport for people with special transport needs due to disability/poor mobility and residents for whom there is no public transport or affordable alternative. The £78,000 will enable them to buy three new fully-accessible vehicles.

RCT chief officer Ken Gill said: “What a fantastic opportunity this is for us to improve our existing services and kick start our Access All Areas project with these vehicles.

“Providing accessible, affordable transport positively impacts on people’s lives by decreasing loneliness, reducing social isolation and provides valuable access to all types of services.

“We also work closely with many other local charities and community groups to provide accessible transport for their clients, so they can attend social activities.”

The £78,000 is part of an £11 million fund which has gone to 150 charities across the UK from the Foundation.

The Garfield Weston trustees decided to more than double its fund following “overwhelming” demand from small community charities across the country.

The Garfield Weston Foundation’s director, Philippa Charles, said: “What really impressed our trustees is the amount of volunteering and community involvement that’s going on across the UK.

“We heard about so many amazing projects involving local people who are helping their communities thrive - regardless of cuts, Brexit debates and other challenges. Yet we can also see the level of need that exists in our local communities.”

A recent survey by the foundation found that two-thirds of small charities expect their income to stay the same or decline this year, yet over half expect to be delivering more services.