A Bury charity is to receive £20,000 to keep on helping people with learning disabilities build the skills and confidence they need to use public transport.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA) today agreed to continue funding a ‘travel training’ initiative run by Bury People First.

The innovative ‘Out and About Scheme’ began last year after getting a start-up grant from GMPTA. Since then the training has helped 14 people across the borough gain more independence.

Some needed short-term help to familiarise them with how public transport works in their area and to give them the confidence to use it alone. Others have benefited from a one-to-one personalised training programme over several months.

The funding, which will help the scheme continue for another year, was agreed at the GMPTA Policy Committee earlier today.

Bury spokesperson for GMPTA, Councillor Andrew Garner said: “Bury People First is one of the first charities in Greater Manchester to run this type of travel training scheme and I am delighted it has been such a success. I look forward to seeing them give even more people the skills and confidence to travel on public transport in the coming year.”

More than 100 people across Greater Manchester have now benefited from travel training after three ‘pilot projects’ were launched last year in Bury, Salford and Stockport with funding from GMPTA.

Further information about the grants available to voluntary organisations to set up travel training schemes can be found in the Accessible Transport section of the GMPTE website (www.gmpte.com) or by calling GMPTE on 0161 244 1259.