CT Sussex

What CT Sussex does

CT Sussex (legally Community Transport Sussex, Registered Charity 1165527) is a non-profit community transport provider operating across West Sussex, England. Formed in October 2016 through the merger of Crawley Community Transport, Bluebird Community Partnership, and Horsham District Community Transport, it subsequently absorbed Worthing Dial A Ride (2020) and Dial-a-Ride Southern Services (April 2021). The organization runs a fleet of approximately 40–50 wheelchair-accessible minibuses and adapted vehicles out of five depots (Crawley/Horsham-merged, Mid Sussex, Worthing, Chichester), with over 100 colleagues and volunteers combined. Services include Dial-A-Ride (door-to-door accessible transport), Volunteer Car Scheme (50p/mile), Group Hire (minibus rental to community groups), SEN School Transport under contract with West Sussex County Council, the Henfield Electric Community Car Club (subscription-based self-drive EV hire), Travel Buddies (volunteer companionship for isolated individuals), and seasonal excursions.

The core operational technology is a wheelchair-accessible minibus fleet equipped with tail lifts and adapted vehicles, supplemented by an EV car club asset launched June 2023 in Henfield and an electric minibus deployed through the Hyde Community Bus Project in December 2024. Booking is handled by phone (central 01444 471919 number) and online enquiry forms, with per-depot local lines; there is no public API, mobile app, or proprietary dispatch platform disclosed. Distribution is direct: members register free and then book per journey, and group hire and SEN contracts are negotiated directly with charity, school, or local authority customers.

Revenue is generated from a mix of per-journey fees (cash on day or invoiced), a £5/month EV Car Club subscription plus hourly/daily hire fees, group hire quotes, contracted SEN school transport with West Sussex County Council, and donations plus fundraising (digital platforms such as JustGiving and EasyFundraising, community fundraising groups, corporate sponsorship). The stated mission is reducing social isolation and increasing accessibility, not profit; the entity is governed by a board of trustees and led by CEO Matt Roberts (with the predecessor organization since 2007).

Name

CT Sussex

Legal name

Community Transport Sussex

Website

https://ctsussex.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CT Sussex is a West Sussex community transport charity operating a 40–50 vehicle wheelchair-accessible fleet across five depots, providing door-to-door Dial-A-Ride, Volunteer Car Scheme, Group Hire, SEN school transport, an EV Car Club, and Travel Buddy services to elderly, disabled, and rural residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Transport Services

NAICS

Special Needs Transportation (485991), Support Activities for Transportation (488)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Accessible (ADA) & Special-Needs Group Charters (THAIAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Transportation, Escort & Appointment Accompaniment (Non-Medical) (HSABAAAF)

Keywords

• Community transport services
• Accessible minibus transport
• Volunteer car scheme
• Wheelchair accessible vehicles
• Community transport charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Crawley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from the public, processed via the charity's donation form on the website.
2. Fundraising Activities: Community fundraising through events, corporate partnerships, sponsorship of buses and projects, and community fundraising groups set up across Sussex.
3. Service Fees: Membership is free but users pay for journeys. The Volunteer Car Scheme charges 50p per mile. The EV Car Club charges £6 per hour, £54 per day for vehicle hire, plus a £5 monthly membership subscription. Group hire fees apply for community groups hiring minibuses.
4. Government Contracts: CT Sussex works closely with West Sussex County Council to provide SEN school transport for children with disabilities and learning difficulties. This represents a contracted service revenue stream.
5. Membership Registration: Free membership registration required before booking Dial-A-Ride services. Membership enables access to all CTS services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CT Sussex is a registered charity (No. 1165527) that delivers accessible community transport services across West Sussex using a fleet of approximately 40-50 wheelchair-accessible minibuses and adapted vehicles. It provides door-to-door Dial-A-Ride transport, a Volunteer Car Scheme for medical appointments, minibus Group Hire, SEN school transport under contract with West Sussex County Council, an Electric Vehicle Community Car Club in Henfield, and a Travel Buddies companionship service to reduce social isolation. The organization operates 5 depots covering Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex, Worthing, and Chichester with over 100 colleagues and volunteers.

Product overview

CT Sussex provides a suite of community transport services across West Sussex, focused on accessible transport for those unable to use public transport due to age, disability, or rural location. The core offerings include: Dial-A-Ride (door-to-door wheelchair-accessible minibus service), Volunteer Car Scheme (individual driver transport for appointments), Group Hire (minibus rental for community organisations), Community Hire & SEN School Transport (specialist transport for children and adults with additional needs), the Henfield Electric Community Car Club (zero-emission vehicle hire), and Travel Buddies (volunteer companionship to reduce social isolation). The organisation operates through depots in Crawley, Horsham, Chichester, Worthing, and Mid Sussex areas, maintaining a fleet of approximately 40-50 vehicles with over 100 colleagues and volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Travel Buddy Service: Matches isolated or vulnerable people with Travel Buddy Volunteers using similar interests to reduce isolation and promote participation
• Dial-A-Ride
• Volunteer Car Scheme
• Electric Vehicle Community Car Club (HECCC)
• Group Hire
• Community Hire & SEN School Transport

Products and services

• Dial-A-Ride Door-to-door wheelchair-accessible minibus service for people who find it difficult to access public transport due to mobility issues, disability, or poor transport links. Free membership registration is required and journeys are paid for on the day of travel.
• Volunteer Car Scheme Individual volunteer drivers provide transport for medical appointments, GP surgeries, and wellbeing or social settings at a rate of 50p per mile. Volunteer drivers have all expenses covered, and the service is aimed at those who need transport to healthcare and wellbeing destinations.
• Group Hire Minibus rental service for community groups, not-for-profit organisations, charities, schools, and sports clubs. Drivers can be provided subject to availability, or organisations can use their own D1-licensed drivers. Pricing is quote-based and offers an alternative to the cost of owning a minibus.
• Community Hire and SEN School Transport Wheelchair-accessible minibus transport for children with disabilities and learning difficulties, as well as adults with additional needs, to schools, day centres, and activities. Delivered in close partnership with West Sussex County Council, with DBS-checked drivers and trained escorts.
• Henfield Electric Community Car Club (HECCC) Zero-emission electric vehicle car club offering self-drive or volunteer-driver vehicle hire to promote sustainable mobility and reduce fossil-fueled journeys. Membership is £5 per month with hire at £6 per hour or £54 per day.
• Travel Buddies Service matching isolated or vulnerable individuals with Travel Buddy Volunteers who share similar interests, providing company and support for using transport. The aim is to reduce social isolation and promote community participation.
• Excursions and Events Day trip programme for members including visits to garden centres, local gardens, seaside trips, and pub lunches, with door-to-door pickup and travel buddy volunteer support available. Bookings are paid in advance.
• Hyde Community Bus Accessible electric minibus service providing vital transport links to essential services, social activities, and mental health support for residents of Midhurst and rural north Chichester. Provided free of charge to users during the initial seven-month initiative.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7300kg CO2 removed from the environment in the first year of the Henfield Electric Community Car Club
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hyde (housing association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2024Hyde partnered with Rivervale and CT Sussex to launch the Hyde Community Bus Project, providing an electric wheelchair-accessible minibus to deliver accessible and flexible transport solutions to residents of Midhurst and rural north Chichester. The project addresses key barriers to mobility and provides vital links to essential services and social activities.
• RivervalecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2024Rivervale provided the electric minibus for the Hyde Community Bus Project. As a leasing and purchasing solutions provider for cars, vans, and minibuses, Rivervale contributed tailored solutions enabling sustainable and accessible mobility options for the community transport initiative.
• Henfield Parish CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Henfield Parish Council collaborated with CT Sussex, Henfield Community Partnership, and Sustainable Henfield to launch the Henfield Electric Community Car Club, promoting zero-emission vehicles and sustainable mobility in the village.
• Henfield Community PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Collaborated with CT Sussex, Henfield Parish Council, and Sustainable Henfield to establish the Henfield Electric Community Car Club, providing a community-owned sustainable mobility asset.
• Sustainable HenfieldminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Environmental partner collaborating on the Henfield Electric Community Car Club to promote zero-emission vehicles and reduce fossil-fuelled journeys in the village.
• West Sussex County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCT Sussex works closely with West Sussex County Council to provide SEN school transport for children with disabilities and learning difficulties. This is a contracted service relationship that is fundamental to CTS's operations.
• Age UK West Sussex, Brighton and HoveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAge UK supported the minibus naming ceremony honouring Dame Esther Rantzen for her commitment to combating social isolation. Helen Rice, CEO of Age UK West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, attended the event.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HCT Group: HCT Group is one of the UK's largest community transport charities, operating accessible transport, social car schemes, and bus services primarily across London and the South East. It is the closest structural analogue to CT Sussex in terms of mission (accessibility, social isolation), operating model (volunteer + paid drivers, adapted fleet), and customer base.
• CT4N (Community Transport for Nottingham): CT4N is a Nottingham-based community transport charity providing Dial-a-Ride, group hire, and accessible transport services to elderly and disabled residents. It mirrors CT Sussex's service mix and target population in a different urban/rural English geography, making it a strong operational peer.

Broad incumbents

• Go-Ahead Group: Go-Ahead is a major UK regional bus operator (including Southern Vectis and Oxford Bus Company) with accessible transport offerings and council-contracted services. Comparable to Arriva as a broad incumbent that competes for accessible-transport tendering and could displace community transport charities in larger procurements.
• Motability: Motability is the UK's leading disability mobility charity, running the Motability car leasing scheme for disabled beneficiaries. While not a direct transport operator, it addresses the same core need (mobility for disabled individuals) at much larger scale and represents both an alternative and a potential partner for CT Sussex's user base.
• Reading Buses: Reading Buses is a major regional bus operator with strong community-transport and accessible-service offerings across the Thames Valley. It is broader in scale and scope than CT Sussex but overlaps on accessible local passenger transport and council-contracted services in a comparable southern England geography.
• Arriva: Arriva is one of the UK's largest public transport operators with extensive accessible-bus services and local authority contracts. It competes for the same council SEN and accessible-transport contracts as CT Sussex at much larger scale, representing the dominant incumbent threat in any retender scenario.

Others

• Age UK: Age UK is the UK's largest charity for older people and is an active partner of CT Sussex (joint Travel Buddy work, minibus naming ceremony). It is a referral source and partial ecosystem overlap rather than a competitor, but its local branches can shape demand for community transport services.
• Community Transport Association (CTA UK): CTA UK is the national membership body representing community transport operators across the UK, including CT Sussex as a member. It is an ecosystem/enabling peer rather than a competitor, providing policy advocacy, training, and operational standards across the same sector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ct_sussex
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CommunityTransportSussex
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityTransportSussex
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ct-sussex/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/ctsussex

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CT Sussex