I heard that Michael Gowing was on our local radio LMFM recently. I missed it but heard from our chair that he spoke well and came across very well. This is great PR.

We've also had a call from a girl looking to join our club. This may be have been as a result of our own PR or our president on the radio but most likely a combination of both. Just like to say well done and hope the good PR continues.

It would be good if it would be annouced on the official site when something this is upcoming so we can listen out. I'm thinking of the Last Word here too. Have any of you heard him on your local radio lately?

Do you have any PR news, good, great or not so good?

Didn't know he was on LMFM either would of made sure to lision, I know he was on one of the National Radios about know your neibour.
You don't know what he was talking about on LMFM?

Though yea, PR is key, i'd say in our club it's as big if not bigger than secatorys.

I see Michael Gowing was pictured in the Drogheda Leader two out of the last three weeks I believe. In fairness to him he's getting around.

Has this been the case in your local papers?

I was just thinking. It would be good if it could be put up on the website if anybody from macra will be going on the radio or television, just for anybody that might be interested.

Press Release – Rural Transport Connecting Rural Communities


Background
Started in 2001, Flexibus managed the Rural Transport Programme in Co. Meath from offices in Navan. Services are delivered with our own vehicles & with private bus operators around the country.

Flexibus had 84,000 passenger trips in 2008 with more than 100 services each week.

Nationally, the Rural Transport Programme had 1.2million passenger trips in 2008.

Services included:
Shopper, Pension, Health, Doctor, Cinema, Clinic, Hospital, Independent Living, Nursing Home, Home Visits, Active Retirement Groups, School Completion, Bingo, Rapid Services, Leisure Activities for People With Disabilities, Youth Services to include School Services for small Rural Schools, Foroige, Scouts, Meath Youth Federation, Girl Guides, Macra Na Feirme.

Health & Safety:
H&S is very important and we have a rigorous H&S working program in place for our buses, drivers and private bus operators. This ensures that the highest standards are in place at all times.


What does Flexibus mean to Passengers?
- Lifeline to services like pension, shopping and banking with closure of local banks and post office.
- Social outlet for people living in Rural areas with no access to public transport.
- Access to education, classes and training with more people looking for training.
- Avail of our transport to Health Services that otherwise would not be possible.
- Simple as having a chat with your neighbour and getting the latest news.

Giving your Support!
Rural Transport and Flexibus have always had support from our local Ministers, T.D’s, M.E.P’s and local County Councillors and we need this support to continue.

Flexibus will be on LMFM on Tuesday 18th August on the Michael Reid show with Gerry Kelly starting at 9.15am to 11am. Therefore we would ask in support of the Rural Transport and Flexibus that you contact LMFM as to why you use Flexibus and what it means to you!

If you have any queries on the above, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Miriam (manager) 086-1744260, Mary (Development and research), Patricia (Training and development) 086-6027009 or 046-9074830



-- END--


Macra will have a voice on this show. If annyone would like to listen in on this and arent from the local area, you can click on to www.lmfm.ie

Is the flexibus the community bus Lady? 60 cent a kilometer to rent.

yep same thing meath its called flexibus, community bus in louth!

Thanks lado. Is the community bus up for the snip too?

Just out of interest, how much monetary support does flexibus recieve?

The Louth equivilant to Flexibus is Louth Linx and its run out of Ardee in Louth. We have gotten a lot of support again today on LMFM. Phone number for Louth Linx is 041 6857442 and the web address is: www.louthlinx.com.

There are rural transport programmes all over the country click here: http://www.pobal.ie/Funding%20.../37fundedgroups.aspx for a full listing.

In 2008, The Rural Transport Programme recieved €11 million. In the same year, they had 1.2 million passenger trips.

Thanks, I'll check that out. We've a trip organised this Saturday to the ice-skating and dog racing in Dundalk and are getting the community bus to take us. It's run through DYD or Drogheda Youth Development. Will take a look at Louth Link.

DYD are another orgaisation that do great work over in Drogheda... I would also encourage you to support them! (",)

Doing our best but they're not making it easy. Macra doesn't really fall under their remit it seems. Well not when there might be porter consumed by some of those travelling.

You really shouldnt drink on buses anyway. Apart from anything else there is a health and Safety issue, rubbish left behind and the sticky floor...

great ideas though.
Was talking to the West Cork Rural Transport crowd today & they said they had their funding cut by60% so they'll probably have to cut their evening services now.
Essential services to those in isolated areas so he said they'll be unlikely to offer their cinema,bingo,mass & pub services down the penninsulas anymore.
disgraceful stuff when u think of how some of the cowboys who got us into the mess are still living it up

There won't be drinking on the bus...well whom I kidding...but the plan is not to use the bus as a mobile pub but as a bus! Hopefully, but who knows. We have ensured them that we, in any case, are taking full responsibility for our actions.

I get a community matters newsletter by email regularly, which is Compiled by North & South Roscommon Community Fora – the representative bodies for community groups & voluntary organisations in County Roscommon and it had this piece in it

Lady..you may already know about this but see below,


National Rural Transport Day

Rural Transport Network is the national representative body for rural transport companies throughout Ireland. The organisation is currently engaged in a campaign of opposition to a recommendation in the McCarthy Report that funding for rural transport is withdrawn in the next budget.

As part of this campaign a National Rural Transport Day will be held on Friday September 11th 2009. All TD’s and Senators will be invited to travel on a rural transport bus on that date and listen to the concerns of passengers over the proposed withdrawal of funding. A very high percentage of passengers using the services are elderly people living in isolated parts of rural Roscommon.

Yes - Its a national day.
Hopefully it will be a good day and it will be supported by all councillors and T.D.s

Lady- trish mckenna, representing the national executive, was on newstalk yesterday talking about her opposition to the RSA proposed changes to the driving licence laws, which includes to curfew on young male drivers, aged 17-24, late at night, which would have a negative impact on rural life, for young people. Lady spoke very well too.
It's good to see macra members on the national media speaking on non-farming issues, which to the general public, shows macra is not all about agriculture.

Well done Trish! That must have been exciting. Were you nervous?