Club Minibus

We work with clubs and groups across the UK, ensuring they have the right minibus for their unique needs and the support needed to enjoy and maintain their vehicles.

Minibuses that make a big difference

Sports clubs and activity groups such as the scouts and cadets have been working with us for many years.

Yes, our minibuses will deliver your team or group to their destination, but sometimes minibuses become more than just the means of getting from A to B.

Having a minibus can provide unique opportunities for people to escape their everyday lives and discover something new and inspiring.

Charlton Athlectic Minibus

Our job is to make it easy for you to provide the training, excitement, and opportunities needed to make a difference.

Getting a minibus is just the first step. Not many clubs or organisations realise that they have legal responsibilities with driver training, maintenance and roadworthiness, and compliance. Rivervale Minibus is here to help with every aspect of your minibus journey, not just finding the perfect minibus.

We have the advice, guidance and services you need to run safe and compliant minibuses. Managing minibuses can be daunting, especially for volunteer organisations, but we have free online guidance, apps and a dedicated team to help you.

Support

Not sure what a Section 19 Permit is, or if you need one? Confused about who can drive your minibuses? We will help you out with more than just information on your chosen vehicle.

Maintenance

Our engineers will come and complete your safety inspections on your premises and we have a free app to help with daily walkaround checks.

Training

We can train your drivers with D1, MiDAS or online and practical assessments, or help you understand the regulations surrounding your not-for-profit minibus operations with our minibus management course.

Where do I start?

There are so many things to consider when choosing the perfect minibus for your club . The following journey is a great place to start

Answer a few questions about what you need, and we’ll send you a buyer’s guide and some recommendations.

Give us a call to talk through your minibus options, and if leasing, outright purchase, or renting is right for you.

Get help deciding how to manage ongoing maintenance, such as safety inspections and walk-around checks.

 Understand what driver training you might need, including D1, MiDAS, online and practical assessments.

For over 25 years, we have been here to help clubs like yours, successfully manage their minibuses.

All our minibuses

  • Free app for walk-around checks
  • Free online course for safe and compliant operations
  • On-site Safety Inspections available
  • Part-exchange available on your old vehicles
  • Customer service and compliance teams
  • Driver training MiDAS, MiDAS Accessible, D1 and online assessments
  • Breakdown cover for the term of your lease or 12 months on purchase
  • Face-to-Face Minibus Management Course with specialist legal and H&S input
  • Free app for walk-around checks
  • Logo and livery added before delivery
  • UK wide delivery

Leasing a minibus

  • Low initial payments
  • Choice of funder-maintained or customer-maintained contracts
  • Road Fund Licence included
  • Demonstration vehicles (if available)
  • Breakdown cover for the term of the contract
  • Dedicated account manager

Buying a used minibus

  • 12-month RAC warranty and 12-month breakdown cover included as standard
  • All vehicles come with 12-month’s MOT and full service
  • Video tours of vehicles, if you can not physically view it
  • Quality stock, typically ex-school lease minibuses we have maintained from new
  • 12-month minibus safety inspections included
  • Minibus finder service so you don’t have to look
  • 12 month hire available
  • Wheelchair accessible vehicles available
  • Hire purchase available

Our most popular club minibus

The Ford Transit 17-seat minibus is one of the UK’s most popular minibuses, chosen by clubs across the country.

The Ford Transit 460 17-seat minibus is renowned for its comfort, practicality and efficiency, making it a popular choice for sports clubs, church groups, and activity groups. It features a six-speed gearbox and boasts a fuel consumption rate of up to 43.5 MPG.

The minibus’s generous size means your rugby or hockey team can be comfortably accommodated, with room for bags and equipment. Drivers will need D1 entitlement to drive this minibus, and variations are available from 12-17 seats and EcoBlue 130ps or 165ps, Leader / Trend / Limited, Automatic & Manual

Charlton Athletic Ford Transit minibus

If you want the full lowdown on this great minibus, please click below

What other clubs think

Charlton Athletic Community Trust have a Ford Transit minibus that’s used 6 days a week across many of our disability and metal health projects, and also some of our diversionary work. We deliver all these in partnership with local councils and NHS trusts.

All the projects are out in the community, so the minibus from Rivervale is paramount to the work we deliver. The minibus is used for Up and at ‘em 60-90 years mental health project, Early intervention in psychosis mental health work ( 3 separate days ), delivering a project for adults that have suffered a psychotic episode, Adult SEND activity days in community, Weekend Short breaks project working for local councils delivering an activity respite service for young people with SEND, Charlton Upbeats Down syndrome football project taking them to football tournaments and residential trips, Cornwall residential trips for mental health clients under the psychosis teams. The list goes on and on …….,

Again, thanks very much for the minibus, this is so important to us to enable us to deliver the early help and prevention work in the community’

Terry Peart, Charlton Athletic Community Trust

Other popular minibus choices

Peugeot Boxer 17-seat

Peugeot Minibus

A practical and durable 17-seat minibus that can be driven on a car licence (conditions apply) with a ramp for wheelchair access. A reliable and popular choice.

Citroën Relay 17-seat

Citroën Relay Minibus

Similar to the Peugeot Boxer this wheelchair accessible 17-seat minibus can be driven on a car licence (conditions apply). Another practical option for those with younger drivers.

Maxus Deliver 9 16-seat

Maxus Delvery9

The MAXUS minibus range offers real versatility. This 16-seat option requires D1 entitlement to drive and is comfortable, spacious, and loaded with technology.

Important considerations when choosing a minibus for your club or organisation

Minibus permits, licencing and regulations can get quite complicated. There are things you will need to consider as an organisation before you decide which minibus is right for you. The answers to the questions below will enable us to make the right recommendations and help you decide on what minibus is right for you.

  • Do you need a wheelchair accessible vehicle?

  • Are you considering electric vehicles? Heavier electric vehicles can be driven on a car licence (conditions apply)

  • Are drivers over 47 years of age, with inherited D1 entitlement, or are the majority younger?

  • Are you a not-for-profit or charitable organisation? You will need to apply for a Section 19 Permit

  • Have you factored in the maintenance costs of your minibus, including the required 10-week safety inspections?

  • Do you have a plan to train your drivers? MiDAS is recommended every 4 years

Who can drive a minibus? Teachers escorting teenagers onto a minibus

Minibus Safety Inspections

Minibus Safety Inspections are required every 6-10 weeks (depending on the age of your vehicle) to ensure your minibus is roadworthy; these are in addition to MOTs, regular services, and walk-around checks. Our engineers will come and complete these inspections at your premises, along with the required brake performance assessment.

MiDAS and MiDAS Accessible

Your drivers need regular training and MiDAS is a nationally recognised scheme for minibus drivers that consists of both a theory element and practical training. Lasting 4 years, your teachers/staff will benefit from learning the important differences in driving a minibus to a car, and benefit from 90 minutes practical training out on the road.

MiDAS Accessible is also available for schools/staff working with wheelchair passengers to improve the safety and dignity of all.

The nationally recognised Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme.
MiDAS consists of theory and practical training and lasts 4 years. Anyone driving a minibus should complete regular driver training.

Rivervale MiDAS training in the a minibus

Get in touch

We are here to help and would love to talk through any aspect of getting your minibus