The Princess of Wales marked the 50th anniversary of the West Sussex Minibus by helping volunteers transport elderly passengers to a local lunch club in Pulborough.
Kate travelled to the village today to celebrate the milestone for the service, which relies on a team of volunteers to help move elderly residents across the local area using its fleet of vehicles.
Among those she helped collect was 94-year-old Stella Drewett, with Kate arriving at her home to pick her up and assist her onto the bus.
A personal touch for a retired school cook
Mrs Drewett, a retired school cook and new user of the service, said before the princess arrived that she was not fazed by anything, joking: “When they said: ‘It will be a celebrity,’ I said: ‘I don’t know any celebrities.'”
Kate walked to the elderly woman’s front door, said “Good morning,” and later placed a reassuring hand on her arm as Mrs Drewett manoeuvred her walking frame along the garden path, telling her: “Well done.”
She stood behind Mrs Drewett as she climbed aboard the minibus, putting her hands against her back as a precaution. When asked about her trips out for lunch, the 94-year-old quipped that they meant “one day of not cooking.”
Community transport's wider role
At the lunch club, Kate sat at one of the tables with members, chatting while nibbling on crisps.
The visit is hoped to highlight the role community transport plays in bringing people together, reducing isolation, and enabling the everyday acts of kindness that make volunteers the unsung heroes of many communities.
The West Sussex Minibus was established in response to the decline of rural public transport. It has grown from a single volunteer-led service into a network operating from eight village hubs, supported by 284 volunteers and a fleet of 11 minibuses, travelling around 60,000 miles a year and providing about 13,000 passenger journeys.
Kate’s outing follows a trip to Yorkshire yesterday with Prince William to surprise Sir Kevin Sinfield on the latest stage of his final endurance event for motor neurone disease charities, telling him his efforts were “so inspiring.”
