Village Link
Village Link is a voluntary organisation that offers door-to-door transport for local people who are elderly, frail, disabled or temporarily in need due to illness. Our service covers the Wiltshire Civil Parishes of Acton Turville, Badminton, Biddestone & Slaughterford, Castle Combe, Grittleton, Kington St Michael, Luckington, Nettleton, North Wraxall, and Yatton Keynell. If you need help, please call the Link Co-ordinator on 07590 720836.
Quick Links
Using Village Link
Information about the Village Link volunteer transport service, including how to book and FAQs.
Volunteering
Information for people who are interested in supporting our service as a Link Scheme volunteer.
About Village Link
Learn how Village Link is run, funded, and supported by volunteers and the local community.
How we can help
We can help with:
Village Link can help with transport to appointments where public or other transport is inadequate, unavailable, or impractical for our clients. This includes:
GP / Dentist surgery appointments
Attending lunch clubs
Attending outpatient appointments
Collecting library books
Visiting friends or relatives in hospitals / care homes
Collecting prescriptions
We serve the following Civil Parishes:
Acton Turville
Badminton
Biddestone & Slaughterford
Castle Combe
Grittleton
Kington St Michael
Luckington
North Wraxall
Nettleton
Yatton Keynell
We occasionally assist neighbouring Link schemes as necessary.
Booking Information:
07590 720836
If you need help, call the telephone number above and leave a message on the answerphone.
Please provide details of the task, appointment time, destination, expected duration, and any special requirements such as a wheelchair.
The Link Co-ordinator will then make arrangements for a volunteer driver (depending on availability) and contact you to confirm the appointment and a pick-up time.
FAQs:
Q: How much does it cost?
A: We ask only for a voluntary contribution towards the volunteers’ expenses to help cover the cost of the journey. The driver will be able to provide you with an envelope to place your contribution in.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of times can I use the service?
A: No, there is not a limit, but the service relies on volunteer availibility.
Q: What if you can’t arrange a journey?
A: We try our best to arrange journeys for everyone, however, we cannot guarantee that there will be a volunteer available to the time and date you need.
Q: How do I cancel a journey?
A: You can call us on 07590 720836. and let us know you no longer need our services. Please try to do this at your earliest convenience to free up volunteers for others.
Q: Can I call and book for a friend or family member?
A: Yes, as long as the client lives within the qualifying area and or is a patient at Jubilee Fields Surgery.
Volunteering
Village Link needs volunteer drivers as its lifeblood.
Village Link is always looking for people to support our service as a volunteer.
Volunteering is a great way to stay active, meet new people and help vulnerable and isolated residents in your community.
Volunteering roles include drivers, co-ordinators, and committee members.
Volunteers:
decide on their own availability,
help enormously even as a very occasional driver,
are protected against public liability by Village Link’s insurance,
will be paid a mileage allowance – currently 45p per mile,
are NOT contacted direct by clients – our volunteers are only tasked by our co-ordinators,
will be DBS checked as a legal requirement.
If you are interested – please call one of our Volunteer Recruitment and Support Officers (VRSO) through our contact number: 07590 720836, and the VRSO will then be in touch with you to arrange a visit to explain in detail everything you need to know, and to help in completing the application form.
The VRSO will also help to complete the DBS documentation and various verification checks (car insurance, driving licence etc). Once all checks (eg DBS clearance) have been received, the VRSO will contact you to confirm that you have been accepted as a volunteer, and will then provide you with an induction pack with all the reference information (eg hospital car parking arrangements) you need.
You will then be one of our valued VOLUNTEERS!
I volunteer because it’s a simple way to give back to my community. Every journey matters.
Volunteering with Village Link is flexible and rewarding. Even one or two trips a month can make a real difference to someone’s day.
About Village Link
Village Link is one of about 45 Link schemes throughout Wiltshire. Village Link started in 1993, and currently serves some 150 clients using about 50 volunteer drivers who provide their own cars and are reimbursed for the mileage they do on Link services. Drivers average about two trips per month (very much according to their own availability and commitments). In the year ending 2025 our volunteer drivers undertook a total of 846 trips, 203 more than last year, covering just over 17,000 miles, 2,000 miles more than the previous year. In time that equates to 1,200 hours approximately spent of trips to hospitals, surgeries, shopping etc.
The Village Link Members are all volunteers and consist of drivers, co-ordinators and trustees.
Trustees are responsible for the proper operation of Village Link.
The Trustees are:
Alistair Parker – Chairman
Peter Dowell – Treasurer
Julia Dowell – Secretary
Anita Parsons
Dalene Shanks
Jill Hollis
Liz Bannister
Mike Turner
Peter Cross
Sue Sunderland
Veronica Anderson
The Co-ordinators match clients requests to volunteers.
The Co-ordinators are:
Ann Turner
Anne Smith
Margaret Dyke
Valerie Deane
Veronica Anderson
Village Link provides a free of charge service – but clients are given the opportunity to make an entirely voluntary and anonymous donation towards costs. Our annual running costs (2025) are about £9,000 of which a good proportion amounts to reimbursement to drivers. We nearly break even financially – thanks to client, driver, Village Fete and Parish Council donations, and can qualify for modest grants if available.
If you would like to make a donation – please contact the treasurer on the main number 07590 720836.