A LIFELINE community bus service providing travel for elderly and disabled Inverclyde residents is motoring ahead thanks to a big £10,000 funding boost.

The Port Glasgow Voluntary Trans-Port Group is celebrating being awarded the five-figure grant from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).

Known for its famous red minibuses, the organisation has been on the go for about 40 years ferrying around elderly and disabled people, care home residents, adults with additional support needs who attend local day centres and schoolchildren.

Around 500 people use the service each week and it is run entirely by volunteers from a base in Muirshiel Road within Devol Industrial Estate.

Councillor David Wilson, who represents Port Glasgow and is also chair of the SPT operations committee, said: "The Voluntary Trans-Port Group carries out vital work.

"It ensures that many older and disabled people who are limited in their mobility can still get out and about and stay connected to their communities, reducing feelings of loneliness and social isolation.

"I'm delighted that SPT has agreed to fund this project, which bring tremendous benefits to the people of Inverclyde."

The transport body provided the cash as part of its efforts to support community projects which provide accessible, affordable and sustainable travel for socially or economically disadvantaged people and charitable organisations.

Christine Dunn, the group's co-ordinator, said: "We're delighted.

"This will help us with our running costs.

"Mostly, we take people to and from day centres, schools and nurseries. "We also provide transport for sheltered housing complexes like Armadale Court in Greenock and we took them to Loch Lomond Shores on Saturday.

"This is a lifeline service for many people."

Treasurer Pearl Simpson, who is from Port Glasgow, has been with the group from the beginning.

She said: "What we do is really worthwhile.

"A lot of people can't get about without this service. "We've got eight buses but it's hard to get volunteers and it's the volunteers who make it all happen.

"We're always looking for drivers.

"The ones we have are great but we always need more."

Volunteer drivers must be over the age of 25 and have a clean driver's licence.

For more information, call the group on 743150.