Photo: The Royal Household
Princess Catherine joins the minibus on its pick-up round
Princess Catherine visited West Sussex Minibus, which turns fifty this year. She joined a pick-up round and helped passengers onto the bus, among them a woman of 94, before the journey ended at the lunch club in Pulborough.
Princess Catherine joined a minibus pick-up round in West Sussex on Wednesday. She was visiting West Sussex Minibus, a transport service run by volunteers, which turns fifty this year.
The Princess helped passengers from their homes onto the bus. Photo: The Royal Household
The service exists for people who struggle to use public transport, whether because they live remotely, because they are unsteady on their feet, or because they cannot afford it.
• 284 volunteers and eleven buses
West Sussex Minibus is run by 284 volunteers and has eleven minibuses. Together they cover around 60,000 miles a year and account for some 13,000 passenger journeys.
The Princess joined one of the bus's regular pick-up rounds. Photo: The Royal Household
The organisation is a member of the Community Transport Association, which brings together services of this kind across the United Kingdom.
Princess Catherine during the visit to Pulborough. Photo: The Royal Household
• Collecting a 94-year-old
The Princess began the visit by going along on one of the pick-up rounds, helping passengers from their homes onto the bus. One of them was a woman of 94, a retired school cook, who uses the bus both for her weekly shopping trip and for the lunch at the village hall.
A number of people had turned out outside the village hall in Pulborough. Photo: The Royal Household
• The lunch club at the village hall
The journey ended at Pulborough Village Hall, where a lunch club is held every week. People from across the local area meet there for activities and conversation.
The Princess sat down at the table in the lunch club. Photo: The Royal Household
The lunch club brings people from the whole area together each week. Photo: The Royal Household