Community Transport Association appoints new Director in Wales

The Community Transport Association (CTA) – the voice of Wales’ community transport sector – has appointed Porthcawl-based Rachel Burr as its new Director in Wales.

The Community Transport Association is a national charity and membership organisation that represents and supports providers of community transport. It supports 75 local charities and community groups in Wales who provide transport services that fulfil a social purpose and provide community benefit. With offices in Neath and Llandudno Junction, the CTA’s team in Wales supports members to ensure that their lifeline services are available to everyone who needs them.

Ms Burr, who lives in Porthcawl, has worked in the charity sector for over 14 years, in a variety of roles that aimed to influence change. During her time working for a road safety charity, she campaigned for better and more accessible public transport options in order to reduce dependency on car travel. She also led national influencing work on a range of social policy topics for Citizens Advice, and most recently led the Wales campaigns team at Dogs Trust.

At CTA she will be responsible for ensuring that community transport is positioned as an essential element of wider infrastructure in Wales, worthy of long-term, significant investment. She will also work closely with the network of members to keep them informed of CTA’s work, and work with decision-makers to establish a post-pandemic, post-Brexit transport landscape which is sustainable and accessible.

Commenting on her appointment, Ms Burr said:

“I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to lead the Community Transport Association’s work in Wales. I am from a rural area and know first-hand just how poor transport links limit the social and employment opportunities for people without access to a car.

“I have always been in admiration of the staff and volunteers who devote their time to providing a lifeline to communities through community transport. CTA members in Wales are making an enormous difference to many thousands of people and I am very much looking forward to working with the team and members to support and raise awareness of this this vital work.”

Bill Freeman, Chief Executive of the Community Transport Association said:

“I’m really pleased to welcome Rachel to the CTA team. We’re proud of the difference our members in Wales make for the communities they serve, and we were pleased to see such a strong emphasis on community transport in the Welsh Government’s consultation on their new transport strategy for Wales.

“Rachel’s rich experience in leading policy and campaign activities will be of huge benefit to our work in Wales as we continue to champion the benefits of transport services that are locally rooted and run by the community and make the case for more support and investment in them.”