A CAMPAIGN for funding to reinstate a bus route between the Forest and south Herefordshire is nearing its target following a raft of donations - including a “generous” one from up north.

The Buses4Us community action group, which was set up in response to “drastic” rural bus cuts back in February, are aiming to raise £250,000 to create a new service between Newent, Ross-on-Wye and Ledbury.

And as of this week, the group have secured £147,500 - and now need a further £44,000 to get the service started.

The group have sought donations from local councils, community groups, businesses and residents to raise the funds needed to prove the service is viable.

Having secured pledges from the three town councils - equivalent to £3 per voter - as well as contributions from Gloucestershire and Herefordshire councils and Forest of Dean District Council, the campaign is well on its way.

The group say a £50,000 request for funding from the National Lottery, along with an expected £10,000 from an as yet unnamed charity, will take them over the £200,000 mark and near to their target amount.

Local businesses and organisations have also pledged their support, including Newent clothing shop Country Corner and minimum waste shop Ingram’s in the last week.

And another recent donation came from an unexpected source - being that the donor lives 160 miles away in Lancashire.

Group leader Clare Stone explained: “We received a very generous donation from Jim in Lancashire.

“When we thanked him, Jim explained that his interest in our campaign  - which is pretty much at the other end of the country - came from the fact that he used to be Transport Manager for Herefordshire County Council and had been responsible for bringing in evening and weekend services on the old 32 bus. Thank you, Jim!”

Clare also shared the “exciting” news that initial work on the tender process for the service will begin soon.

She added: “We are on track - but we still need your support. so many ventures fail because of insufficient start-up funding.

“We don’t want our bus to be one of them  - so please chip in with a little donation if you can.”

Buses4Us was launched by the community after the old service connecting Gloucester, Newent and Ledbury was withdrawn “with minimal notice” by Stagecoach West at the start of the year, while the Newent to Ross route was reduced to a school and shopper service.

The group teamed up with Newent Community Transport in May to offer a minibus service to help reconnect residents of the surrounding villages with Newent town centre.

The success of the community campaign comes amid further cuts to bus services in the Forest, with six more routes set to be withdrawn this month.

Gloucestershire County Council says finding new operators for the lost routes will be “far from easy”.

For more information about Buses4Us and to make a donation, go to www.buses4us.org.