Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Sarah Murphy MS, Leonard Cheshire in Wales, Philip Crockett - Life & Living Skills Programme Leader, Bridgend College, Q&A session with transport groups at Bridgend College
Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Sarah Murphy MS, Leonard Cheshire in Wales, Philip Crockett - Life & Living Skills Programme Leader, Bridgend College, Q&A session with transport groups at Bridgend College

Member of the Senedd for Bridgend, Sarah Murphy and Member of the Senedd for Ogmore, Huw Irranca-Davies have worked with transport companies to get more transport for young people with additional learning needs.

Sarah Murphy MS and Huw Irranca-Davies MS, have today welcomed the co-operation between several transport companies, Leonard Cheshire and school pupils within their area, in launching a new programme to provide Learner Travel for the children.

The programme comes after the Bridgend and Ogmore MSs attended the ‘My Voice, My Choice’ hosted by Leonard Cheshire at Bridgend College in September 2023. The event allowed young people to ask the MSs any questions they may have. Pupils overwhelmingly asked questions surrounding transport. In January 2024, both MSs attended a follow-up event, alongside Transport for Wales, First Bus, Bridgend Community Transport and Great Western Railway, which give the same young people the opportunity to put their questions directly to those with authority.

The programme has been aimed to provide a Travel Warrant to the Independent Living Skills Department at Bridgend College, to allow pupils with Additional Learning Needs the skills, confidence and knowledge to use pupil transport effectively. Prior to the programme, well over 50% of students had never used these bus services before, but all expressed an interest in using them in the future.

Speaking about the programme, Sarah Murphy MS said:   “It’s fantastic to see First Bus come together with our community, to ensure that young people, receive the support they not only need but deserve. I know that in our community, Learner Travel is a huge issue, and it’s great to see real change take place. Following on from the events Huw and I attended in September and February, I have gone onto put the questions we received to the First Minister and I will continue to highlight this issue.  We welcome this vital and innovative work that is giving young learners a voice and I hope this work goes on to inspire other transport companies.”

Adding to this, Huw Irranca-Davies MS said:  I’m thrilled to see First Bus partnering with our community to address the important issue of learner travel.  This initiative tackles a barrier for some young people in our community, ensuring they receive the support they deserve in accessing educational opportunities.  Hopefully, it will set a great example for other transport companies to follow, and I look forward to the new ‘Bus Bill’ being brought forward in the Senedd by the Welsh Government seeking to give greater control over local bus services to local people.” 

Philip Crockett – Life & Living Skills Programme Leader, Bridgend College said:  “For people with Additional Learning Needs, accessing public transport without support can be a major obstacle to leading independent and fulfilling lives.  We are extremely excited that the collaboration with First Cymru bus service will continue to enable the learners within the Independent Living Skills department at Bridgend College to develop the skills and confidence to proficiently use local bus services. This will have a profound impact upon the quality of their future lives, empowering some of the more excluded members of our locality to access meaningful social and vocational opportunities within our community.”

All relevant information has been passed on to the families of those who took part in the programme and so far, First Bus, the Bridgend MS and the Ogmore have expressed interest in the programme continuing into the next academic year.

 

 

 

 

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