Words by Out & About Office

Out & About Community Transport have been doing our Out & About Wednesday trips since xx/xx/xxxx and have kept them up until the start of the pandemic when everything shut down across the country. However, around Christmas 2020 we were able to do a few shopping trips to help everyone get ready for the holiday season, but the country locked back down again and our trips came to a halt again. It wasn’t until May 2021 that we were able to take our members on outings again.

On 19th May our first Out & About Wednesday of the year took place. Two of our buses took our members up to the Coleraine Retail Park. It was a great turn out for our first trip, as many were still nervous about getting out to the shops and also at this point in time the cafés were still closed for sitting in. However, our members either packed a lunch or got something to go and sat in our warm buses to have their tea. Many of them had not been out since the middle of March 2020 and had not seen each for a long time.

Our second stop of the year was Coleman’s Nursery in Templepatrick. We had three buses going to the Nursery. The members truly enjoyed their day out as they shopped and dined in Coleman’s café. Ashley and Gillian from the office were able to get down and say hello to everyone who was able to get out that day. The office got calls the following day from the members telling us how much they enjoyed the trip and also enjoyed the feeling of some sort of normality again.

Our next stop was a Tour of the Coast on the 30th Jun. We had to add another date as demand for the Wednesday sightseeing day out was overwhelming. Plus seating was limited due to social distancing restrictions. We sent out 5 buses in total, 3 the first time and 2 the second time. The buses went from around the Magherafelt District Area to Larne and up the coast to Ballycastle for a lovely sightseeing adventure. The members were able to have a lovely fish supper in Ballycastle. Again members called and thanked us for a lovely day out. The weather was better on the second trip, but both groups still had a wonderful time, seeing gorgeous sights and socializing with friends.

Our final trip was to Portrush/Portstewart for a walk the promenade at Portrush and Portstewart. Again we had 3 buses filled with happy members of the community ready to enjoy the day ahead. The members got some retail therapy in the White House in Portrush and some even had to buy hats the sun was shining that day. We’re sure many an ice cream cone was had as they took a stroll on the promenade and watched the crowds at the Ports.

Out & About are so thrilled that our members were able to enjoy a few days out through the early summer. Of course that is not the end of our trips! On August 11th, the members were taken to the Hillside Garden Centre and the Abbey Centre for a day of shopping. And our next trip is to Hillsborough Castle on September 1st. We have two more trips planned, another sightseeing adventure around the North West and a trip to the Maiden City for another shopping day. Out & About are looking forward to sharing the members experiences with everyone.

If you would like to go on any future trips, please give the office a call on 028 79300123. Places fill up fast so please book ahead. Payment is required to keep your seat and is non-refundable as the trips are limited seating.