Are you over 5 and under 20?
Do you
live in Suffolk?
Then get
your hands on the Explore card – it’s absolutely free!
You’ll then be
entitled to 50% off adult single & return fares on virtually
all local bus services and 50% off adult off-peak rail fares in
Suffolk! As well as this you will get discounts at loads of other
retail and leisure outlets across the county, AND it’s an official
proof of age card too!
So what are you
waiting for? Apply for one today!
You can find out more and order an application form at the official
Explore
website.
Further Information
Eligibility
The Explore card is
available to all young people aged 5-19 (inclusive) who live in
Suffolk, including:
- students at USAF
schools in Suffolk;
- students who board at a school in Suffolk;
- students who live in Suffolk to attend one of its colleges;
and
- young people in residential care.
You do not have to be at school or college to get an Explore Card -
you just have to be younger than 20 and live in Suffolk.
Unfortunately if
you go to school or college in Suffolk, but your home address is
not in the county, you do not qualify for the card.
Discounts
Cardholders are
entitled to 50% off single and return adult fares on virtually all
registered local bus routes, and 50% off normal adult off-peak
fares on train travel within Suffolk. Discounts on the train also
extend to some destinations outside of the county – see the website
for more details
In addition, the
card offers discounts at selected retail and leisure outlets; full
details of the current discounts available can be found on the
website.
Please note: the Explore Card has no impact on the provision of
school transport by Suffolk County Council and discounts do not
apply to charges applied by the County Council for discretionary
transport.
Proof of Age
The Explore Scheme
is accredited by PASS – the Proof of Age Standards Scheme – a
national proof-of-age accreditation scheme, endorsed by Government,
which sets minimum standards for proof-of-age cards.
All cards are
issued with a PASS hologram, meaning that the cardholder can gain
access to the age-restricted goods and services to which they are
legally entitled. As the PASS scheme is a national scheme, the
hologram should be recognised all over the UK.
Applying for an Explore Card
Via
School
The card is
distributed to all young people in year 7 upwards who are attending
state or special schools. Photographers visit schools to take
photographs and cards are then produced and sent direct to their
home address. Parents and guardians of those pupils who are aged 15
or under can choose to opt out of the scheme.
Via Application form
Some young people
will need to apply for a card via postal application form, usually
in the following circumstances:
- Children of
primary school age
- Those who have not attended a photography session – either
because they were not present on the day of photography, or if
their school has not yet signed up to take part in the
scheme;
- Those in independant schools; and
- Those under 20 who are no longer in education.
Applications for
young people under 16 must be authorised by their
parent/guardian.
Application forms are available from:
-
Explore card
website
- Suffolk state schools
- Bus and railway stations;
- Libraries;
- Suffolk County Council offices; and
- Customer Service Direct (CSD) Centres
Application forms are also available on request by phone (0845 6
066 067).
Verifying and submitting an application
There are two types of application forms – School forms, which can
be completed by applicants attending school (including independent
and primary schools); and Non-School forms, for applicants who do
not attend school (including those who work, are unemployed, or
attend college).
All applications require a passport photo (guidance on acceptable
photos is available
here).
School forms must be stamped and signed by a member of school
staff.
Non-School forms must be accompanied by copies of documents to
prove the applicant’s date of birth (e.g. passport, birth
certificate etc.) and address (utility, council tax bill etc.). The
application must also be verified by a referee, who must be one of
the professionals listed on the form (i.e. teacher, doctor etc.).
We will then try to contact the referee at their place of work to
verify the details given.
Application forms should be submitted by post to:
Explore Card Administrator
Endeavour House
8 Russell Road
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP1 2BX
Cards normally take around 2 – 4 weeks to be issued from the day we
receive the application, subject to a successful referee
check.
Cards issued to young people under 16 are purple.
Cards issued to young people aged 16 and over are
green.