A WEARDALE councillor has launched a campaign to raise money for a “vital” service to ensure older people can get to doctors’ appointments.

The patient transport service, which is run by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme [RSVP], is under threat because its funding is due to run out in June.

Cllr Anita Savory has launched the “Miles in Motion” campaign to raise enough money to try and keep it going.

She said: “Last year there were 1,285 journeys in Weardale and it operates all over. It’s a vital service, especially for older members of the community because if they can’t get there with relative ease they won’t keep appointments, their health will deteriorate and it could end up being more expensive.

“It’s such a valuable service because it’s protecting people’s health. It affects every village up the dale. I hope we will raise enough for at least 1,000 miles."

The scheme has been running in Weardale for around 16 years and works with volunteer drivers who use their own cars to pick up patients and take them to their appointments. They then wait for them before taking them home.

Drivers volunteer their time for free but are given 45p a mile to cover fuel expenses, which means 1,000 miles costs £450.

Cllr Savory added: “They pick people up from their doors and take them right to the appointment which is important, especially somewhere like Stanhope where the surgery is up a hill.”

The service has been funded by Durham County Council since 2013, which gives £50,000 from its public health budget to provide a series of volunteer driver networks throughout the county.

But because of financial pressures this funding is set to be withdrawn in June.

Weardale’s driver coordinator Jean Graham, from Frosterley, said: “We really need this because once the funding goes the car scheme will fold and it’s been going for 16 or 17 years.

“It will be a big miss if it goes. We have a rotten bus service and a lot of people couldn’t get to their appointments without us unless they got a taxi and that’s very expensive.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Collection tins will be placed in the chemists in Stanhope and Wolsingham, at Chatterbox Cafe in St John’s Chapel and in the Frosterley Inn.