Jump to content

Away day travel club

TigerTedd

By TigerTedd
in Derby County Forum

Recommended Posts

TigerTedd

TigerTedd

Posted
Posted

I love how forums like this can spark discussion that can lead to new ideas. 9 times out of 10 it's us suggesting new formations and line ups, secretly hoping that Stevie Mac will pick it up, send us a personal letter of thanks, and invite us to sit in the dug out.

 

But, every now and again, real life can find a way into our fantasies and real things can happen from the off hand remarks we make.

 

In the thread, 'Let's go invade grounds' B4 suggested this:

 

I feel safe with my dad with me and i wish derby would a spcail club could be set up. Were i could travel with supporters like me. Even cost me a bit more on my season ticket were this spcail bus could drop off near your home.

 

Full credit therefore goes to B4 for anything that might come from this.

 

The Current Situation:

I've made a few inquiries into making this a reality. As it happens, I sit next to the lady who helped the club put in place most of their disability policies while she worked at Derby City Council (she now works at Leicestershire County Council with me), things like the 'Carer's go free' policy.

 

I've also spoken with the Disability Liaison Officer at the club, who has confirmed that their are several schemes in place to help people with physical and learning disabilities at home games, and there is the road rider bus, but their are no specific facilities to help disabled people to enjoy away games. The road rider bus is not wheelchair accessible, for example, and there is no specialist support available.

 

Background and Concept:

As I mentioned in that thread, my wife runs a travel agency, and I have merged her world of travel with my world of social care to create the Leicestershire Travel Club. This is a social enterprise that helps people with social care needs to access travel opportunities by taking advantage of peer support within the group to enable people to share interests and experiences beyond their disabilities. These include anything from simple day trips to sporting events or theme parks, to more complex holidays in Europe, North America or beyond.

 

It's not about making a 'special' bus, but it's about creating a fully integrated group of people, with similar interests, different abilities, and an empathy towards, and focus on, providing support for the disabled members of that group.

 

I would like to set up a similar scheme in Derby to enable people with social care needs to access away games.

 

A social enterprise is not 'not for profit', but any profit we make is reinvested in a social fund. In this instance, for example, the social fund may be used to subsidise an away day trip for people who couldn't normally afford it, or could be donated to the club to improve disabled facilities at the stadium. (And I hope that saves me a wrist slapping from the mods if you're thinking this is some sort of profiteering exercise :) ).

 

The point:

I am coming up with a list of away matches that I would like to focus on this season, but I would like the forum's suggestions about what the best away days are, which ones I should focus on. Then I will publish a list and can take pre-bookings.

 

I know good away days have been discussed before on here, but I have a couple of specific requirements:

  • Things like Leicester or Leeds away are less likely to work, because tickets are likely to be snapped up by priority bookings first. The club won't allow me to take precedence over those priority bookings until I have proved the concept (although Leeds being the last game, I may have been able to prove it by then, and that would definitely be top of my list if it's possible).
  • I'd like to offer a couple of full weekend experiences, so I like places like Blackpool, where I can make a nice weekend of it.
  • Local games are good to avoid elongated, potentially uncomfortable time, in transit.
  • Anywhere that, in your opinion, offers a brilliant away day experience.

If you know of any social care or community groups I can work with in Derby, I'd be very interested to hear about those too. PM me.

 

Hopefully this is the first and only season I'll need to consider things like Doncaster, and next year we can be talking about away days to Manchester, Liverpool and London (and maybe, the season after, European away days - you never know, Steve does have a three year plan  ;) ).

 

Anyway, sorry if I've rambled on a bit. Your thoughts on this idea would be gratefully received.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 24
  • Created
  • Last Reply
TigerTedd

TigerTedd

Posted
  • Author
Posted

And to save you looking it up, away days remaining this season are:

 

  • Charlton - maybe too soon
  • Huddersfield - midweek (Thursday)
  • Barnsley
  • Leicester - midweek (Friday)
  • Blackburn
  • Birmingham
  • Sheffield Wednesday
  • Burnley
  • Reading
  • Ipswich - midweek (Tuesday)
  • Middlesborough
  • Blackpool - midweek (Tuesday) - should have checked this before suggesting a weekend away, how infuriating.
  • Doncaster - midweek Friday)
  • Leeds
Link to comment
Share on other sites
alexxxxx

alexxxxx

Posted
Posted

Great idea and I hope you can put something together.

 

At that mauling of derby at forest a few years a go (sorry to bring it up), I was sat next to a group of derby fans who needed some extra assistance. Obviously Forest is our nearest away game, but maybe you could see if that is a regular thing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TigerTedd

TigerTedd

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I would be quite shocked if I was the first to think of the idea. But according to the club and the Council there are no official arrangements, so it could be down to social care groups etc. sorting out their own arrangements. I hope this idea might be a way to coordinate that effort. Rather than having 5 people here, and 10 people there, might as well all be on one minibus to pool resources.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
davenportram

davenportram

Posted
Posted

The individual supporters clubs such as the Alfreton club do local bus stop pick ups. Other clubs do the same so I can't see the demand being massive, however, it is a good idea as an official one if Derby take it up.

But are they disabled friendly busses? Which is the basis of the idea to help disabled fans to get to away games

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TigerTedd

TigerTedd

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The individual supporters clubs such as the Alfreton club do local bus stop pick ups. Other clubs do the same so I can't see the demand being massive, however, it is a good idea as an official one if Derby take it up.

It raises an interesting point though. What if people are interested from all over the County. But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I've got a couple of ideas, but I'd need to see where the interest comes from first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ram@Lincoln

Ram@Lincoln

Posted
Posted

It raises an interesting point though. What if people are interested from all over the County. But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I've got a couple of ideas, but I'd need to see where the interest comes from first.

 

But are they disabled friendly busses? Which is the basis of the idea to help disabled fans to get to away games

 

I can't speak for all the buses but on occasion when I've traveled with a couple of the branches, they hire coaches from companies such as Skills coaches. The ones I've been on have the hydraulic drop down feature. I haven't seen the larger coaches with 'drive on' wheel chair access but the smaller mini bus types that some of the companies offer have these facilities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Boycie

Boycie

Posted
Posted

This is good, but I expect to service will be expensive, which could defeat the object all together. Carers need paying, and some may need one on one. Unless you can get Rams fans who have the appropriate clearances that may donate their time for a free ticket and travel?

It's something I did contact the club about with B4 in mind, but the email on the club site for the disability officer is incorrect. I must admit, I didn't follow it up, so well played to you TigerTed.

I hope you can help B4 and others.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sage

sage

Posted
Posted

When we think of fans with additional needs, we immediately think of disabled fans in wheelchairs, but the vast majority of fans with additional needs have other disabilities or conditions, have learning difficulties or are simply elderly.

I woukd have thought a grant for minibus hire to 4 or 5 games a year and a bank of volunteers to accompany the fans with naybe one paid specialist would be a good

start.

I would happily pay for my own ticket and travel with/help someone who wouldn't normally get to a game.

Maybe initially a voluntary basis of fans offering a space in their car might establish a good start which could help with funding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TigerTedd

TigerTedd

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Your on my wavelength. Volunteers is one thing I'm looking into, and I do that for travel club in Leicestershire. You'll be surprised how easy it is to find volunteers when you offer a free weekend at the seaside or free entry to Alton towers :)

But also, people with disabilities, if they're in receipt if a personal budget, will often have a personal assistant paid for through their personal budget, or they would normally come with their own carer (who would get free entry to a lot of stadiums).

A personal budget / mobility allowance is specifically in place to pay for any additional support and mobility needs.

Those who happen to not have a carer with them on that day, for whatever reason, would then benefit from the peer support of the group.

Meanwhile, going as a group means that you can take advantage of group discounts (the club's already told me I'll be able to do this), so that helps bring down the cost. I've done some rough costings, and it's really quite reasonable. Certainly comparable with jumping in a car and making your own way.

Thanks for all the positive feedback anyway. I think on to a winner here. So watch this space.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...