Prison Visiting Transport Service (W Mids)

Manager - Annamarie Balram

216 Great Bridge Street
Great Bridge

West Bromwich

B70 0DE

Tel: 0121 5207803

Fax: 0121 5208361
Email: pvs@communitytransport.org

Annamarie Balram was welcomed back to the position of managing the PVTS in the last year of UBC/Quick Wins funding. The service is based on 5 drivers and 5 vehicles based at Birmingham, Coventry, Sandwell, Solihull and Wolverhampton Projects, taking family members to visit prisoners at regional HMPs.

At year end we were:
• Serving 10 West Midlands prisons up to 3 days a week
• Delivering over passenger 500 trips per month . . .
• . . of which over 30% are for children

Funding from the Pilgrim Trust enabled an evaluation that showed how important family contact is. It also shaped a business plan to underpin funding applications to the Lottery, Children in Need and charitable trusts.

A huge boost came at year end when WMPTA/Centro pledged £40,000 for up to 3 years on a match funding basis. This allowed CT's Board to guarantee at least 6 months' operations in 2005/6 while fundraising continued.

Our thanks to . . . Centro/West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority Urban Bus Challenge & Quick Wins funding Pilgrim Trust Local Network Fund (Black Country) and all our staff, users, supporters and friends