New ride gives new lease of life

Nobody will miss out on group outings thanks to a partnership supporting the community's most vulnerable.

GETTING OUT: Pat Bruce, Hannah Watt, Sarah Patane, Jacob Coffey, Therese Crisp, David Hume and Mark McCosker inspect the new GBSS van. Picture: Matthew Purcell

NOBODY will miss out on group outings thanks to a partnership supporting the community's most vulnerable.

Lions and Granite Belt Support Services have teamed up in an effort to fund a new van for the organisation.

Through funds from the Gambling Community Benefit Fund and a substantial $8000 donation from Stanthorpe Lions, GBSS was able to secure a new vehicle.

"We were very lucky to have secured money through that fund, plus a tremendous donation from the Lions Club who are very community minded,” GBSS's Therese Crisp said.

"Without them we would have had to source the funding from elsewhere.”

Lions representatives Mark McCosker and David Hume were on hand for theunveiling.

"All the funds have been raised by the locals here,” Mr McCosker said.

"Our money comes from locals and where we can we try to put straight back into the community.”

Mrs Crisp said they had already been able to put the new vehicle to use.

"It gives everyone in the community the ability to travel to, say, a show in Toowoomba, go downtown for a cup of coffee and just be able to get out and about like everyone else,” she said.

"We think nothing of just walking downtown having a coffee, but people in wheelchairs don't have that choice so this is really increasing their choices.”

GBSS has had a van that was gifted to them from James Massey's family some years ago, but Mrs Crisp said that its days were numbered.