FUNDING of more than £213,000 for a Pembrokeshire community transport charity group, which supports some of the county’s most vulnerable residents, has been backed by senior councillors.

At the April 28 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet members were asked to continue offering financial support to Pembrokeshire Association of Community Transport Organisations (PACTO) to support their work to develop and support community transport services in Pembrokeshire over the next five years.

The current funding arrangement with PACTO, of £175,968 over a five-year period, came to an end on March 31. 

It was recommended to award a five-year grant at a cost of £40,170 in 2025/26 (£213,268 over five years, including an annual inflationary increase estimated at three per cent.

Over the past five years, PACTO accounts show the council £175,968 core funding has enabled it to secure a total income of £1,439,205.  

PACTO is currently in the second year of a major three-year project funded through the Motability Foundation, valued at £1 million. 

In a report presented by Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett, who described PACTO as “the glue that knits community transport providers together,” members heard local registered charity PACTO supports and represents the Pembrokeshire’s community transport sector, run by the third sector on a not-for-profit basis to support some of our most vulnerable residents. 

“Community transport services in Pembrokeshire currently provide around 50,000 passenger journeys each year, helping to fill gaps in the public transport network, support community groups with their transport needs and assist elderly, disabled and other vulnerable people who struggle to access mainstream public transport,” the report said.

It added: “PACTO does not directly operate community transport services.  Its role is to provide support to community transport operators to improve and extend the services they offer, to work with communities and community groups towards addressing unmet transport needs, and to provide information and advice to service users about the services that may be able to assist them.

“Pembrokeshire County Council has provided core funding to PACTO since 2004.  The funding has enabled PACTO to provide a range of support and development activities.”

It said the withdrawal of funding could lead to the risk of a loss of many of the services supported, as well as a knock-on effect on council budgets through some of the services enabled.

Cllr Sinnett said, of the option of withdrawing funding: Whilst it would save that £40,000 it would leave us very vulnerable to either stepping in in support of our community transport providers with our limited staff time,” adding: “And PACTO do things we can’t do.”

Members unanimously backed the award.

PACTO, on its website, describes its services as: “Pembrokeshire’s Community Transport services help people and groups who don’t have access to their own transport and who don’t have or can’t use conventional public transport services.”

Local services

Local services provided by third sector operators and community groups include the following.

Royal Voluntary Service, who run the Pembrokeshire Country Car service.

Green Dragon Community Transport, who run dial-a-ride and town rider minibus services across the county and operate wheelchair accessible cars.

Pembrokeshire Voluntary Transport, who operate the Fflecsi service in north west Pembrokeshire and provide wheelchair accessible minibuses and cars for community groups and disabled individuals.

Narberth and District Community and Sports Association, who operate the Bloomfield Dial-a-Bus services for villages around Narberth.

Manorbier Community Transport, who provide a community minibus for local community groups.

VC Gallery, who use a community minibus and car to help service users access their projects and activities.