A PETERSFIELD community care group, and a lifeline to elderly townsfolk, has launched a desperate appeal for more drivers.
Petersfield Voluntary Care Group drives elderly and frail people to hospital or doctors' appointments. It also takes them to visit husbands or wives in hospital or nursing homes twice a week, or shop for, or take shopping to, people who can no longer manage alone.
The group has made the urgent plea after several of its older volunteer drivers were forced to quit.
"This is a time for giving and one of most precious gifts one can give is time," said group chairman Jenny Seaburg.
"Sadly a lot of the drivers are becoming quite elderly themselves and several have retired recently. So far, we have met more than 1,250 requests for transport or shopping. If you divide that by the number of drivers, this is quite an achievement for the 40 driving volunteers."
But with the number of drivers dwindling, according to Mrs Seaburg, the pool of drivers can also be reduced by up to half because of holidays or other reasons, leaving those remaining in an almost impossible situation and trying to fill in the gaps.
Mrs Seaburg added that taking someone to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham or Haslar Hospital in Gosport could take anything up to three hours.
"We do also have regular requests taking three to four people a week to shop. One of the ladies we help is 100 years of age and that takes the driver nearly four hours."
But she said: "The job is not that difficult and all find it rewarding. If just a few more Petersfield-area drivers could offer one to two hours a month that would help to ensure that all requests for transport could be met without putting too much burden on the willing few."
The youngest drivers, according to Mrs Seaburg, are in their early 60s "but many of them are in their late 70s and early 80s and although they are all competent drivers, some have to give up suddenly".
"It is sad when a driver says they don't feel safe enough to drive," said Mrs Seaburg.
The care group also has a number of co-ordinators to organise the drives, which operates through Winton House in the High Street. It would also welcome people who would prefer to do paperwork rather than actual driving.
The group was founded almost 30 years ago and Mrs Seaburg, who has been a driver for 12 years and chairman for the past five, said: "I think it has got busier with more older people now aware of our service. It is sad there are so many people in Petersfield who don't have relatives living nearby, but we often get grateful letters from their children thanking us for looking after their elderly parents.
"At this time of giving, please see if in your busy life you could give one to two hours a month to help someone older and more frail than yourself."
To volunteer, contact the Petersfield Voluntary Care Group at Winton House Centre, 18 High Street, Petersfield GU32 3JL, call in between 10am and 4pm, or call 01730 266046.