Lifts & errands
A lift to the appointment, and a hand with the shopping.
Small things that make a real difference when family aren’t nearby or time is short.
Not taking bookings until November 2026. We’re opening one service at a time so every booking gets a properly checked helper. To hear the moment Lifts & Errands reopens, send us a message or ring us.
What’s included
Lifts & Errands, in practice.
What we do
- Lifts to GP, hospital, dental and optician appointments
- Supermarket shopping trips — with you, or on your behalf with a list
- Prescription collection
- Lifts to social visits, the hairdresser, or the garden centre
- Waiting time during short appointments
What we don’t do
- We’re not a substitute for patient transport where clinical support is needed during travel. For that, your GP surgery can advise on the NHS options.
Pricing
One rate, agreed before we start.
One-hour minimum. There is no VAT to add. Waiting time during a short appointment is part of the hour you have booked, not an extra. Plus mileage at 55p a mile, HMRC’s approved rate, for the miles from your door to where you are going and back — the driver’s journey to reach you is not charged. A 4-mile round trip to the surgery adds £2.20. Mileage is itemised and added after the trip.
Book
Back in November.
Lifts & Errands isn’t taking bookings until November 2026 — the details above are how it will work when it reopens. Send us a message and we’ll tell you the day it does. Members can spend their credit on Garden & Outdoor, Odd-Jobs & DIY or Home Tech Help in the meantime.
Appointments are worth ringing about rather than booking blind — tell us the time you need to be there and we will work backwards from it. Your helper messages you the day before with a tighter arrival time. Prefer to talk first? Horwich & Blackrod 01204 588749, Adlington, Chorley, Anderton & Coppull 01257 822489.
How it works
From booking to job done.
- You book the time you wantOne, two or three hours — for longer, ring us. The price is the hours times the rate, you see the total before you pay, and you’re confirmed straight away.
- The first free helper takes itYour booking goes straight out to every helper who covers your village and does that work. Whoever is free first takes it, and messages you the day before with a tighter arrival time.
- They say what’s realistic, then get on with itYou are booking time rather than a fixed job, so your helper will tell you what can genuinely be done in it. You decide what matters most.
Questions
The ones people actually ask.
How far in advance do I need to book?
Ideally 48 hours for appointments, but ring us for anything urgent and we’ll do our best.
Is the same driver available regularly?
Ask for them by name when you book, or write “same as last time”, and they get first refusal on it for two hours (30 minutes if the trip is less than 48 hours away). If they can’t take it, it goes to the other drivers. For a standing appointment that works well — most people end up with one or two regulars.
Are your drivers insured for passengers?
They will be before this service reopens. Carrying passengers for payment needs Hire & Reward motor insurance, which ordinary business-use cover does not include, and we will check every driver’s certificate before their first booking.
What if the appointment overruns?
Ring your driver. If they can stay they will, and the extra time is charged at the same hourly rate — they will tell you before the clock goes past what you booked. If they have another job to get to they will say so and help you sort a way home.
What if you can’t make the time I need?
We refund you in full. You have paid for hours, and hours we cannot deliver are hours you get your money back on — we would rather do that than have you miss an appointment.
Lifts & errands, from November.
Taking bookings again from November 2026.
Prefer to talk first? Horwich & Blackrod: 01204 588749 · Adlington, Chorley, Anderton & Coppull: 01257 822489
