Melksham & District Link

Link is a charitable organisation run by volunteers and is part of a countywide Good Neighbours scheme that helps local residents get to medical appointments when they have no other way of getting there. We operate in Melksham and the surrounding areas to help those who need it the most.

If you have a medical appointment, one of our Link volunteer drivers will come and pick you up from home at an appropriate time to get you to your appointment; we will then wait and return you back home. Unfortunately our volunteer drivers are unable to assist wheelchair users unless a carer accompanies the client. The carer must be able to lift the wheelchair in and out of the car. Not all of our drivers’ cars can accommodate a wheelchair so we have very limited availability. Wheelchair users going to a NHS hospital may be eligible for hospital transport, please check on the NHS website for details.

How much does it cost?

We ask only for a voluntary contribution towards the drivers’ expenses to help cover the cost of the journey. The driver will provide you with a brown envelope in which to place your contribution. Give what you can afford, however, to give you a rough idea of how much it costs Link, our drivers are reimbursed 45p per mile from their home address. We also have other costs, such as phone lines and administration and we rely solely on donations to keep this valuable service going:

Below are a few examples of the cost to Link

Melksham to RUH Bath – return – 32 miles £14.40

Melksham to Devizes Treatment Centre – return- 18 miles £8.20

Melksham to GWH Swindon – return- 64 miles £28.80

Melksham to Southmead Hospital Bristol – return 70 miles £31.50

If you can cover the cost of the journey, it keeps us going.

If you are in receipt of certain benefits, you may be able to claim some or all of your travel costs from the hospital you are attending. Called the “Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme” information is available on the NHS website.

Legacies and Larger Donations

Melksham Link relies totally on donations and unpaid volunteers to fund and run our activities. Clients are requested to make a donation for each trip undertaken. However, occasionally, people decide to leave us a legacy in their will or make a larger donation to help us maintain our valuable service. If you or your loved ones would like to make such a donation then please contact our main number 07979 129052 and you will be directed to the Treasurer who can help you make suitable arrangements.

If you can’t see your area on the list above then check our nearby link schemes section below where we provide contact details and information about other link schemes that may cover where you live.

Melksham Link Volunteers perform a number of different roles, including driving, coordinating and administration.

If any of these roles interest you please contact us to find out more and to see if we are currently recruiting more volunteers.

Call 07979 129052

or Email us at melkshamlink@gmail.com