A SERVICE that has given some of the most needy and isolated people in Greater Manchester a social life for the past three and a half years is facing the axe.

The Ticket and Escort Service, which has been used by many people in the Bolton, Bury and Leigh areas, has less than six weeks to find alternative funding.

The scheme was started as a City of Drama initiative which recognised that many disabled and elderly people needed practical support and transport to get to venues to see shows and concerts.

For three-and-a-half years, the service, under the auspices of Arts About Manchester, has done just that. But now the funding is about to run out.

Members throughout the county are twinned with volunteer drivers in their locality who share the same interests as they do.

The service books both people tickets to theatres and concerts. The volunteer gets a free ticket from the venue, the member and Arts About Manchester share the volunteer's petrol costs.

Members get What's On information in text tape or Braille formats and information on access to venues in an annually-updated access guide. All volunteers are interviewed, vetted and trained by Arts About Manchester and an active group of users has begun to meet venue managers to discuss improvements to facilities.

Devastated

Eileen Staveley, a visually impaired member from Bury, said: "If the TES ceases to run, I don't know what I will do. I've only been a member for 18 months and already it has changed my life and made me a happier person."

The speed of the decision has given little time to find a way to continue the service and has devastated the two disabled staff that run the service who were only told in late January that funding would definitely cease after March 31 this year.

Since then they have been inundated with calls and letters from the 180 users of this valuable service who find the prospect of losing their newly-found social life too hard to bear.

Hazel Roy, manager of The Ticket and Escort Service, said: "It is difficult to explain the impact of isolation unless you have experienced it. Disabled people have the same needs and rights to entertainment and should be able to access this spontaneously and easily and on their own terms. We went to make sure they will be able to continue to do so.

"In the meantime, we are desperately looking for someone who can give us accessible premises for an office even on a temporary basis The organisation needs about £4,000 per month to staff and run the service and cover volunteer expenses and training. We will not let this service fold."

Anyone who can help should phone 0161 953 4119.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.