WATCHET Drives – a community electric car transport scheme that starts in the New Year – is looking for volunteers.

The drivers will provide lifts in a specially provided electric car to elderly or infirm residents in and around Watchet, to get to the doctor’s surgery or to any of the various support groups.

Watchet Drives, funded by the National Lottery Fund and DCMS, is the new strand of community support from Watchet Connects, a programme run by Watchet Coastal Community Team.

In partnership with Community Council Somerset, it is seeking to support those residents in Watchet who often miss doctors’ appointments or cannot get to the shops because they have mobility problems.

The scheme has been designed in close consultation with the current community transport providers, Watchet and Williton Wheels, and hopes to free up their capacity to concentrate on longer journeys outside Watchet.

Watchet Drives aims to complement the work of Wheels by taking people on short journeys around the town on a shuttle service to the roads highlighted by the GP surgery.

Volunteers should be happy to give half a day a month to drive short journeys around Watchet. They would be covered under a separate insurance and drive a leased community electric car.

Electric car training will also be provided for volunteers so that they are comfortable driving an e-car.

Village Agent and Watchet Connects volunteer Izzy Silvester said: “We know there are plenty of quite isolated people who live in Watchet and are often unable to leave their house because of either a physical or mental disability.

“Watchet Drives hopes to help those people get the support they need in town, whilst also providing a friendly face to chat to. We’d love to hear from anyone that would enjoy talking to people about Watchet and are happy to help by driving them short distances to get to support they need, and then taking them home again afterwards.”

The team is working closely with the council towards installing an electric car charging point in the town. Watchet Connects will pay for the lease of the car, insurance and any fuel and associated costs.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer driver, or wanting more information, should contact Georgie Grant on 07940 950 396 or at [email protected].