Age UK, National Autistic Society and Volunteering Matters are among a dozen charities and public sector organisations to share a £5m fund set up by the government to reduce isolation through providing better transport links.

The awards for the Tackling loneliness with transport fund have been handed to charities and local government organisations running schemes to better connect people at risk of loneliness.

Age UK is spending its £546,674 award on a nationwide scheme to use travelling companions to help older people access transport.

Meanwhile, the National Autistic Society has been handed £267,391 to offer training to transport providers to increase awareness of autism and remove challenges facing autistic people on public transport.

Volunteering Minibus will use its £284,349 grant to develop a pilot in Nuneaton to use minibus and tuk-tuk transport services to provide people at risk of loneliness with better access to services and support.

Awards have also been handed to East Midlands based sight loss charity Vista, Bikeworks, Leeds Older People’s Forum, Living Streets, Community Transport Association and Community Action Hampshire.

Devon County Council, West Midlands Combined Authority and Transport for West Midlands as well as Community Rail Network have also been handed grants through the fund.

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