YMCA Chiltern Group joins Uber × YMCA Ride Voucher Pilot
Every day, YMCA Chiltern Group supports local people across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and beyond through programmes focused on addressing the challenges facing local communities, supporting individuals to reach their full potential and live independently. From providing supported housing for young people and adults, to delivering family support, domestic abuse and sexual violence services, youth work, counselling, and health and wellbeing programmes, we work alongside thousands of people each year to help them build confidence, overcome challenges, and create brighter futures.
However, reaching these programmes and other essential services is not always easy.
Many of the people we support face mobility barriers such as the cost of travel, limited public transport links, long distances between services, and personal circumstances that make travelling independently difficult. These challenges can prevent people from accessing vital support, opportunities, and community activities, even when those services are available nearby.
To help address this challenge, YMCA Chiltern Group has been selected to participate in the one-year Uber × YMCA Ride Voucher Pilot, created through a partnership between YMCA Europe and Uber.
Through the pilot, Uber ride vouchers will help us connect people with mobility barriers and access essential services and opportunities, including healthcare and employment appointments, education and training, social services, and YMCA programmes and community activities. The vouchers will be used when access to safe and reliable transport can make a meaningful difference to someone’s ability to participate or receive support.
For our community, this could mean helping a young person living in supported housing attend education, training or employment opportunities, enabling residents to reach important job interviews or appointments, and supporting individuals on their journey towards greater independence by ensuring they can access the services, opportunities and support they need to build brighter futures.
The pilot builds on the work we already deliver. By helping us overcome transport barriers, Uber is supporting our team to extend the reach and impact of our programmes so that more people can access opportunities, receive support and participate in community life.
“Transport should never be the reason someone misses out on the support they need or an opportunity to improve their future. This pilot will help remove practical barriers that many of the people we support face every day, enabling them to access essential services, build independence, and stay connected to their communities.” – Michael Howe, Deputy CEO YMCA Chiltern Group.
