Can you go extra mile for

VOLUNTEERS WHO GIVE PEOPLE A LIFT TO HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS ARE APPEALING FOR MORE HELPERS

VOLUNTEERS who give up their spare time to drive people to and from hospital appointments for free have already helped thousands of people – and now they need more helpers.

Miles of Smiles in Tameside is a project run by Action Together, a charity that focuses on building stronger communities.

Drivers help patients who might struggle on public transport, but are ineligible for the ambulance service, not to miss appointments.

Volunteers take patients to hospital, doctor, physiotherapy or dentist appointments and often wait with them to finish.

Their efforts and those of other organisations are being celebrated as part of our #WeStandTogether campaign for a more peaceful Manchester. David Sharples, an active communities manager who set up the project in 2007, said: “We call it transport plus, it’s not about the transport, it’s about our volunteers going the extra mile, sometimes literally, so they make sure people are supported. It’s about making sure what might be a nerve-wracking experience is as easy as it can be.” Action Together currently have 25 volunteers but are always looking for more, and particularly need someone who can drive their wheelchair-accessible vehicle. Volunteer Philippa Robinson joined the group in March after retiring as a manager for ITV in September last year. She said: “It’s such a nice thing to do and the people we do it for appreciate it. It’s almost like going with a friend, rather than being left by a taxi driver. Philippa Robinson