Carefree meets Transport Minister to talk ‘Transport for Freedom’
On Thursday, a group of care leavers and workers from Carefree met Richard Holden, Minister for Roads and Public Transport, to discuss the success of a pilot scheme offering care leavers free bus travel up to the age of 25 in Cornwall. The pilot scheme has been championed by a strong partnership between Carefree and Barnados as a key part of the national ‘Transport for Freedom’ campaign with other parts of the country looking to follow Cornwall’s lead.
“The bus pass made me feel free, it’s about getting out there. It gave me hope”.
Young person who attended meeting with Richard Holden
The meeting gave young people the opportunity to voice how impactful the scheme had been and encourage its adoption across the UK. One young person emphasised “The bus pass made me feel free, it’s about getting out there. It gave me hope”. Barnado’s CEO, Lynn Perry MBE, has validated this sentiment emphasising the positive impact the scheme has had on mental health, reducing isolation and access to opportunities and appointments. She stated ““Without affordable travel, these young people often struggle to access work, education, healthcare, or any of the freedoms we all enjoy from a change of scene. That’s why we are calling on the Government to support and fund free bus travel for care leavers up to the age of 25. By doing so, we can help make sure care leavers have the best possible chance to build a brighter and positive future.” This is only more critical at a time when the cost of living is rising for young people with Samuel, 18 years, commenting “with the cost of everything going up, and the amount of appointments that you have as a care-experienced young person for things like college and seeing your support worker, doing this without a free bus pass can be really tough.”
We hope that this meeting will be looked back on as a stepping stone towards making this pilot scheme a permanent and nation-wide policy. Richard Holden concluded “It’s fantastic to see how the close partnership between Barnardo’s and Carefree has helped drive forward our vision for a more inclusive transport network that care leavers and those who need it most can rely on.”
- Cornwall Council, https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-news/transport-streets-and-waste/transport-minister-visits-cornwall-to-hear-about-bus-improvements-and-project-offering-free-bus-travel-for-care-leavers/
- Barnados, https://www.barnardos.org.uk/news/transport-minister-urged-introduce-free-bus-travel-care-leavers
- BBC, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-64605452?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bbbc.news.twitter%5D-%5Bheadline%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_format=link&at_ptr_name=twitter&at_link_type=web_link&at_campaign_type=owned&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_link_origin=BBCNews&at_link_id=75EBEBFA-AA32-11ED-8C58-8D252152A482&at_medium=social