A NAILSEA charity will be able to continue its vital service to the community after being given a cash boost by North Somerset Council.

A NAILSEA charity will be able to continue its vital service to the community after being given a cash boost by North Somerset Council.

Nailsea and District Community Transport was worried hundreds of pensioners would be left stranded and unable to get to hospital appointments if the cash-strapped district council cut its grant.

But staff and dedicated volunteers were celebrating this week after news that they would be getting a £43,800 grant to continue their work.

The charity, which costs £203,360 a year to run, had asked the authority for £50,000 but staff are delighted with the cash they have been given after fears their funding could have been drastically cut.

Nailsea and District Community Transport manager Lesley Timmins said: "It's absolutely fantastic.

"The service we provide is absolutely vital. There are a lot of people who wouldn't go out at all or keep their independence without the service, so we're very pleased.

"We are still going to have to draw in our horns a bit by making our routes slightly more economical. We also need four new vehicles so we might have to just replace two."

The charity, which was launched 13 years ago, has a fleet of eight minibuses and makes around 25,000 passenger journeys a year across Nailsea, Clevedon and Portishead.

As well as operating a Dial-a-Ride service to take people to doctors and hospital appointments, the group also runs regular shopping trips and day trips for pensioners.

To keep the charity running it is always looking for fund-raisers. Anyone interested can call Lesley on 01275 855552.

Other community transport services have also been a cash boost by North Somerset. Portishead Porters, which provides transport for patients of the two medical centres, will receive £790 - which is £810 less than the cash the group requested.

Gordano Community Cars, which offers transport to Pill and Easton-in-Gordano residents, has also been given the £385 it asked for.

However the MS Therapy Centre in Nailsea and the 1446 Clevedon Squadron ATC were denied grants to pay for a minibus for their service users.