THE Bordon Charity has stepped in to save a local minibus service which is was in need of funding to continue running.

The charity is to donate £3,000 a year for the next three years to Community Transport for East Hampshire to maintain its service, which takes patients to and from the central hospitals in Alton and Basingstoke.

The service was launched by the transport organisation in 2001 to overcome the difficulties local people were experiencing in keeping appointments when making use of public transport.

Bordon Charity trustee Carl Tantum said: "The funding has been agreed because we want to make life easier for people who live in Bordon to get to the central hospitals for essential appointments.

"It takes 50 minutes to get to Basingstoke by car and it is an impossible place to get to if you don't have a car.

"The trustees of Bordon Charity have always considered this service essential to our community and we were more than happy to underwrite part of the costs."

Lynne Peters, of Community Transport East Hampshire added: "From this area, it takes a minimum of two-and-a-half hours to get to Basingstoke on the bus, so there is only a small window of opportunity to get to the hospital.

"If you had an appointment at 10 am, there is no way that you would be able to get there using the bus, and after 1 pm, you would not be able to get back. It would cost in excess of £50 in a taxis."

So far, the service, which operates on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays has carried more than a thousand passengers. A specially-adapted, wheelchair-friendly vehicle is to transport patients door-to-door for a flat fare of £12.50.

Initial funding was supplied by the Countryside Agency and Hampshire County Council, but now the Bordon Charity has agreed to an annual donation of £3,000 for the next three years.

"We always knew there would be a problem with funding the scheme because the Countryside Agency does not do funding continuations, so after the initial donations we could not go back for any more.

"The Bordon Charity was a great help providing half the amount needed, we had looked at other options but it was the only one that has put its money where its mouth is," said Mrs Peters.

The organisation is also hoping to gain a further grant from Hampshire County Council, but a final decision is yet to be made.

The service is now active after a brief suspension and journeys to either hospital can be booked by calling 01420 475759.