Harrogate District Community Transport (Little Red Bus), has been awarded the Social Enterprise Mark.  The award is in recognition of the company's sustainable model of providing local, integrated community transport across the region. This comes hot on the heels of the Harrogate-based company being awarded "Social Enterprise of the Year North Yorkshire" in 2008.

Since its inception in 1987, the Little Red Bus has been a wonderful success story within North Yorkshire, and has successfully developed an integrated transport model working in partnership with other community-based transport providers across the Harrogate, Craven and Ryedale, Richmondshire and Hambleton  areas. Little Red Bus and its partners provide transport solutions for North Yorkshire County Council, PCTs, schools and colleges, as well as running a demand-led service for those in more remote, inaccessible rural areas not covered by commercial transport services. This was largely funded by Futurebuilders England and NYCC.

Lyn Costelloe, Chief Executive of Little Red Bus, commented, "It is great to receive the Social Enterprise Mark.  It shows both our customers, and the public in general, that we are committed to providing a sustainable service and are trading solely to benefit our community, with a strong environmental focus."

The Little Red Bus Partnership is playing a major role in the coordination and integration of community and public transport in North Yorkshire.  Recent investment in a tailor-made scheduling software system enables the company to create a streamlined and efficient service that can integrate bookings from a wide variety of sources—from local authority commissioned services to ad hoc bookings from individuals without any access to public transport.

Keith Halstead, Chief Executive of the Community Transport Association UK, said "The Social Enterprise Mark demonstrates that Little Red Bus is well placed to respond to the government's Big Society agenda.  As public services are opened up to new providers like social enterprises, Little Red Bus is able to offer innovation, diversity and responsiveness to local need."

Lucy Findlay, Managing Director of the Social Enterprise Mark board adds, "We are thrilled that the Little Red Bus has achieved the Social Enterprise Mark.  It will show all their customers that they are in business to benefit people and planet, rather than maximising profits for shareholders or owners.  The big yellow logo on all their buses will prove to the people of Harrogate that they are different."