Client Newsletter - January 2020

CLIENT NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2020 CLIENT NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2020 FROM WITHIN FOUR WALLS TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS Welcome to 2020 to all our clients, family and friends.  It promises to be a full and exciting year here at South West Community Transport and there have already been some major changes within the organisation Those of you that attended the client Christmas party last year will be aware that Lyn Bright retired on the 20.12.19 after 30 years at the helm. We wish her all the very best for her retirement and years to come. I was offered and accepted the position of Executive Officer and although I am not new to the organisation, as I have been the operations manager for over 4 years. I am looking forward to my new role with excitement and enthusiasm and believe that this year will be the best yet. The Operations Manager is now Genevieve Sexton. Genevieve was the team leader of the bookings unit and most of you will know her already. She is a very capable young lady and will achieve amazing things in this role. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: SOUTH WEST COMMUNITY TRANSPORT BOOKINGS: 9426 8999 OR WWW.SWCT.COM.AU

I have moved Sandi fulltime into socials so that she has more time and energy to plan all the wonderful socials that we take you on.  We are introducing a number of new social initiatives as well as all the old favourites, so keep your eye out for the social calendar and or the advertising pamphlets in the vehicles. UPDATES TO SOCIAL OUTINGS COMMENCING IN FEBRUARY We will now be doing fortnightly trips on a Tuesday within your local area. These trips will fall on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month and will alternate each month: 1st Tuesday of the month: Bunnings and then a venue for lunch 3rd Tuesday of the month: Spotlight and then a venue for lunch The next month we will go to 1st Tuesday of the month: A garden centre in your area and then a venue for lunch 3rd Tuesday of the month: Morning melodies and lunch at a local club So every two months you know you will be able to get to one of the above centres to do your shopping then enjoy lunch with friends. These days out will be additional to our normal social days. The cost will be $10 for transport and then you pay for your own shopping and lunch. You will have 1 hour at the shopping venue and then 2 hours at the lunch venue. You will be self-sufficient while at the venues. We will also be commencing a Friday lunch date social every Friday starting in February, where we will pick you up from home and take you to a local Club/ Pub or restaurant for 2 hours so you can catch up with friends and enjoy lunch. You will be self-sufficient while at the venue TRAVEL TRAINING/ SMALL GROUP SOCIALS AND EXERCISE CLASSES Our travel trainer, Sharon is also branching out and as well as doing one on one travel training to teach you how to catch public transport, she is also doing small group travel training, taking 5-6 clients at a time out on day trips using your Opal Card and a number of different travel options, the feedback on these days has been fantastic, so if you want to be involved, ring us and let us know. The only requirement is that you have an Opal Card and want to have fun. Sharon is also completing a course in February that will qualify her to run low impact exercise classes for seniors. These will be fun days held at our depot at Minto where you will do a bit of exercise, then enjoy morning tea with friends.  These will start to be advertised shortly and will start as fortnightly events, if we get enough interest we can increase them. Cost will be $12 which will include your return transport, exercise class and morning tea. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: SOUTH WEST COMMUNITY TRANSPORT BOOKINGS: 9426 8999 OR WWW.SWCT.COM.AU

WEEKEND TAXI SWCT is constantly reviewing the services provided to our clients to ensure we are providing the highest quality service which meets the needs of our clients.  We have reviewed the weekend taxi trips program and will be retaining the program into the future but we will be ceasing the weekend worker as of the 25 January 2020.   What does this mean for you?         1. YES you can still use taxis on the weekend within a 20 km radius of your home 2. YES you can still ring 13CABS direct to cancel a booking or change a pickup time on the day.   What has changed?      BOOKINGS: These will need to be made during business hours Monday to Friday by ringing us on 9426 8999. or by using our online booking service through our website at www.swct.com.au before 12pm on a Friday. If you have a regular booking at the same time to the same place every week, tell us and we will create a standing order then your booking will be automatic and you will only need to ring if you are not going. Over the past two months we have been running a trial in the taxis whereby clients can travel further if they are willing to pay more. This opportunity has not been taken up by many people and so we are ceasing the trial.  All trips taken in taxis whether it be during business hours, after or before business hours or on weekends and public holidays must be within a 20 km radius of your home. This initiative still allows you a fantastic opportunity to get out and about in your local neighbourhood and the cost for this is only $10 each way. On Demand taxis are available for you to use for an extra $5 each way. This initiative is for you to be able to get to or from a Doctor in your local area on the day if we cannot fit you into our transport. It is for medical appointments only. MEDICAL TRANSPORT: Traditionally we have only allowed clients undertaking chemo and dialysis to be conveyed on our express buses and only if your times fit in with the bus time table. I am relaxing this immediately and if you require transport to any medical appointment/physio/dialysis/chemo etc please contact us and we will assist you. OFFICE HOURS LIKE US ON Our office is open from 730am to 12.30pm and 1.00pm to FACEBOOK: 5.00pm Monday to Friday.  Our customer service team is at lunch from 12.30 to 1.00pm each day. Only  calls relating to transport on the day will be accepted during this time. SOUTH WEST COMMUNITY TRANSPORT BOOKINGS: 9426 8999 OR WWW.SWCT.COM.AU

TASMANIA: The idea of doing a tour of Tasmania has been discussed for some time and a number of people expressed an interest. We have spent some months researching this idea and have decided that it is outside our ability to continue. So Tasmania will not happen, I am sorry. We only have the ability to do so much. BUT, keep a look out for the September social calendar as we are going to do a longer overnight social (6 nights) and explore the outback of NSW. This will be an exciting trip with only short times on the bus between towns and exploring outback towns such as Walgett, Brewarrina, Bourke, Nyngan. Peak hill and everywhere in between! KDYNIODOUW? During 2019, South West Community Transport vehicles travelled approx 1,166,633 kms. We averaged a total of 1280 funded clients travelling each month, completing a total of 77,099 trips across the 12 month period. We also averaged a total of 308 NDIS clients travelling each month in NSW and Victoria, completing a total of 33,813 trips! PLEASE CALL US ON 9426 8999 IF YOU WISH TO GO ON OUR NEWSLETTER & SOCIAL CALENDAR DATABASES LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: SOUTH WEST COMMUNITY TRANSPORT BOOKINGS: 9426 8999 OR WWW.SWCT.COM.AU