Driving Miss Daisy franchisee celebrates 10 years of business

Driving Miss Daisy franchisee Kathy Doornenbal has been commended by her clients for a decade of fantastic services.

As Kathy Doornenball reflects on her time running the Ontario franchise, she says that her clients are “just so much fun” and comments, “if it wasn’t for us, the last part of their life wouldn’t have been so good.”

After caring for her mother as she slowly died from supranuclear palsy, Doornenbal realised the importance of a service that could help adults who needed extra assistance. She discovered Driving Miss Daisy and, in memory of her mother, was keen to bring the service to Ontario so that she could provide assistance, companionship and transportation to those who need it the most.

Her best-loved clients include Bryan McGregor, whose learning difficulties mean he relies on the help of Driving Miss Daisy to get to his twice-weekly shifts and Isabel Bennet, a 96-year-old client who counts Kathy and her husband Bob as friends and looks forward to her daily outings to the grocery store with them.

A near death-experience from a severe blood infection has left Doornenbal struggling to keep up, so she has made the difficult decision to sell her franchise. She reflects happily on her time with Driving Miss Daisy and says she “never would have dreamed that business would be so successful”, as the franchise now employs 4 drivers and often finds itself completely booked up. Her words of encouragement should instil confidence in any potential new owners.

The Driving Miss Daisy franchise aims to provide a friendlier transportation service that makes clients feel as though they’re with friends. All of its cars have room for wheelchairs and are easily accessible to clients of any mobility level. With over 30 franchises across the UK and many more overseas, Driving Miss Daisy is continuing to expand its friendly service around the world.