ISLAY TRANSPORT VOLUNTEERS
Travelling for health and social care on Islay can be difficult and time consuming. Journeys off the island for clinics at Lochgilphead, Campbeltown, Oban and Glasgow are very challenging, particularly when you are not feeling well. It all adds to the stress and the cost of looking after your health.
We currently have three projects which we hope will make things easier.
ISLAY JOURNEYS FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING
PATIENT TRAVEL FROM ISLAY : WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
ISLAY TRANSPORT VOLUNTEERS
Each of these projects has its own page on the website
ISLAY TRANSPORT VOLUNTEERS
This is our new project to match Islay and Jura residents who need help travelling for health and wellbeing with local volunteers who are willing to provide transport. The service is coordinated through a new post and is generously funded by the Ardbeg All Islay Fund and Islay Energy Trust.
The Service went live in September 2025.
Our co-ordinator is local resident Rona Meikle. Rona keeps a list of volunteers and brings them together with residents who need transport for their journeys. If you need help with travel you can email Rona at any time or phone for a chat between 10am and 12pm daily.
We can provide help with transport on Islay and make sure that you can get to the Doctor’s, the Dentist’s and to Islay Hospital. We can take you to the ferry port or the airport if you are travelling to the mainland for an appointment.
If you need help with travel on the mainland itself then we can liaise with our sister charity, Mid Argyll Transport Volunteers (MATV), who may be able to help with onward travel from Kennacraig and the return journey after your appointment.
If in doubt get in touch with Rona : We will do our best to help
ISLAY TRANSPORT VOLUNTEERS
Need volunteers…..
If you would like to help your fellow residents we would be very glad to hear from you.
You can volunteer for as much or as little time as you have available. We have a computer system which allows you to choose the jobs that suit your own schedule. There is no on-call rota and you can do as many or as few jobs as you wish and drive only where it suits you to drive.
You need a suitable vehicle and a clean driving licence. Your existing insurance policy will usually cover volunteering without extra charge, but we recommend checking with your insurance provider before you start. We pay a mileage fee to help with wear and tear on your vehicle.
If you are interested in being part of this community service please get in touch in Rona and she will talk you through it in detail.
ISLAY TRANSPORT VOLUNTEERS is a collaborative project between Islay Connections and Islay Senior Citizens Association
We are very grateful for advice, support and co-operative working with our sister charity Mid Argyll Transport Volunteers.
We are grateful for generous funding from the Ardbeg All Islay Fund and from the Islay Energy Trust which are supporting our first year of operation