First Bus

First Bus is OFFICIALLY a Period Positive Workplace 🩸 We couldn't be more proud to support one of the UK’s largest bus operators with achieving this milestone, as it continues to improve gender equality across the business! Gareth Hind, Director of Colleague Experience and Relations, said: “No one should go without period products, and by partnering with Hey Girls, we are doing our part to overcome period poverty in society too. We are making big strides in First Bus to welcome more women into the organisation and achieve our ambitious gender goals.” 🙌 Together, we're stomping the stigma around periods in a traditionally male-dominated industry and creating an inclusive workplace, where period products can be accessed as and when needed! 'By having our products at 65 sites across the UK and Ireland, First Bus is generating donations with every purchase through our partner Lyreco UK and Ireland' - our Ailsa Colquhoun, Contracts and Partnerships Manager here at HG ❤️ We absolutely love this photo taken by First Bus - what better way to spread the news! 🚍 Read all about it https://lnkd.in/edjeFHzw Want to be a period positive workplace too? b2b@heygirls.co.uk Photo features Rebecca Arrowsmith, Balance (Gender) Inclusion Network Lead at First Bus) #PeriodPositiveWorkplace #GenderEquality #PeriodPoverty #InclusiveWorkplace #FirstBus

🏖️ We recently had the pleasure of capturing the collaboration between First Bus & Cadbury UK that brought those who don't get the opportunity to visit the beach, the chance to do so! It really was a joy to see so many smiling faces, enjoying a 99 with a flake on the coast! #video #videography #videomarketing

First Bus has officially become a Period Positive Workplace, supplying free period products to its colleagues. The transport sector is traditionally a male-dominated one, but this accreditation is another milestone for one of the UK’s largest bus operators, as it continues to improve gender equality across its business. The initiative is also part of a wider strategy to attract more women than ever before to First Bus, as it aims to diversify its workforce and become more reflective of the communities it serves. Period Positive Workplace Hey Girls More here 👇

First Bus Leicester have strong levels of passenger growth, top 10 nationally for customer satisfaction, bus punctuality over 93%, all new electric buses, bus stops with real time info, our highest staff engagement in the country - the team love working for a place that takes bus travel to its heart. Massive kudos to what Leicester City Council and the Enhanced Partnership + have achieved with only small amounts of funding so this has all been done with minimal taxpayer burden 👏

All aboard! The new Flake 99 bus takes children that have never seen the sea to experience the joys of a British beach. Thank you to Creative Salon Worldwide for selecting the campaign as their Work of the Week. See links in the comments. In some regions of the UK 1 in 10 children have never been to the seaside. In some cities it's 1 in 5 children.  Last weekend the Cadbury Flake 99 bus started the first of a series of free trips from cities across the UK to take lucky families to experience the magic of the British beach. From building sandcastles and netting for crabs to paddling in the cold sea and enjoying the ultimate holiday icon that is a Flake 99 ice cream (every passenger gets one free on arrival), the Cadbury Flake 99 bus is dedicated to introducing children, young and old, to the joys of the seaside.    The campaign by Ogilvy PR was launched by Cadbury UK and First Bus last weekend, the bus took families from inner city London to Southend-on Sea, and will head up to Bridlington from Leeds and Bradford this coming weekend. Ogilvy PR secured more than 211 pieces of earned media coverage, including ITV News and drove 4,000 signs ups for tickets. But the real impact of the campaign was the incredible joy and excitement of the families on board the bus. “As Cadbury celebrates its 200th year anniversary this year, we are thrilled to partner with First Bus to help more families experience the simple joy of a beach trip this summer. While 95% of Brits cherish time at the coast, some children are not setting foot on the sand, so we’ve created the 99 bus to give more families the chance to create memories that we all cherish – building sandcastles, paddling in the sea, and of course, enjoying an iconic Cadbury Flake 99!” Olena Solodka (Shchegol), Brand Manager at Mondelēz International “I remember the first time I went to the beach and was given a Mr. Whippy, topped with a Cadbury Flake - it’s as British as Wimbledon or BBQing under an umbrella. Sadly, many people have never been to the beach, and we thought this was a problem Cadbury and First Bus could definitely fix. After all, Cadbury is an iconic British brand with generosity at its core – and we’re hoping this Summer we can create many more happy family memories.” Charlie Coney, Creative & Strategy Officer (UK and EMEA), Ogilvy Image credit: Jack Hall/ PA Media Assignments #borderlesscreativity

Excited to share my story as part of First Bus’s ‘First Bus Firsts’ series! 🚌💛 As a volunteer at the Beatson Café with Beatson Cancer Charity, I've been able to connect with so many wonderful people and have made a lot of friends along the way as well. My journey began when I spotted Beatson’s yellow-wrapped bus, donated by First Bus, on my way to school. That moment sparked my desire to find out more about them and get involved. Volunteering at the Beatson Café has been incredibly rewarding, helping me build confidence, form connections, give back to my community and feel more settled in Scotland. Whether serving up a comforting cup of coffee or participating in bucket collections around the city, I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to make a difference.😁💛 And none of this would be possible without Scotland’s Young Person’s Free Bus Travel scheme and the convenience of the First Bus app. The bus is more than just a way to get around—it’s a lifeline that enables me to fulfill my volunteer duties. A huge thank you Marlyn Hosie for presenting me with this opportunity to be spotlighted and to First Bus for not only highlighting my story but also for supporting Beatson Cancer Charity in such meaningful ways. I hope my experience inspires other young people to use free bus travel to get involved in their communities and I look forward to. Here's the link for the full story: https://lnkd.in/e7n4XKTu And a news paper publication!: https://lnkd.in/g7V9xBqn #Volunteering #BeatsonCancerCharity #FirstBus #CommunitySupport #ScotlandsYoungPersonsBusPass #MakingADifference #YoungPeople

First Bus and its trade union partner, Unite the Union, have reached a ground-breaking new learning agreement to improve opportunities for frontline colleagues across the business. Born out of the National Joint Consultative Forum (NJCF), this new partnership sees a significant investment from First Bus, creating six learning centre hubs for its frontline colleagues across its UK operations. 🚍 Full details 👇

“Volunteering has helped me build a life in Scotland” Forging connections through U22’s Free Bus Travel: Abdulmuiz’s story Abdulmuiz Adarangio, An 18-year-old volunteer from Glasgow, shares how Scotland’s Young Person’s Free Bus Travel scheme allows him to support people affected by cancer. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Abdulmuiz moved to Clydebank just over a year ago and has been volunteering with Beatson Cancer Charity ever since he first spotted the charity’s yellow-wrapped bus, which was donated by First Bus last year to help raise awareness of the charity throughout the city. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4dJ1xE0

Delighted to be shortlisted for a total of eight awards at this year's routeone Magazine Awards in the following categories; Rising Star: Anna Courtier (North & West Yorkshire), Jodie Sweeney (East of England) & Reece Backman (Ensignbus) Manager of the Year: Jonathan Hunt (East of England) Engineer of the Year: Barry Radcliffe (East of England) Peter Manning (First Bus) Best Use of Technology: Somerset Passenger Solutions Ltd. Environment Award: North & West Yorkshire Fantastic recognition for all the hard work and dedication from our teams across our UK operations. Well done to all the shortlisted entries. Full details here:

Many of us have fond memories of family days at the seaside. I know I do. Especially of sprinting after the joyful jingle of an ice cream van to secure a Flake 99, paid with pocket money sneakily stuffed in my pocket by my lovely Granny whilst my mum wasn’t looking! But 1 in 10 children in many regions in the UK have never been to the seaside and are missing out on these heartwarming childhood experiences, with parents admitting that the cost and difficulty of getting there is a barrier. So, this summer we set out to bring a little Cadbury generosity to families, bringing Cadbury UK and First Bus together to treat some lucky families to a traditional day out at the seaside which isn’t complete without a Flake 99! The free '99 bus launched this weekend taking families from inner London to Southend-on Sea, before heading up North next week with routes from Leeds and Bradford to Bridlington. Each passenger on the bus also received a free return bus ticket for a First Bus operated journey in the area, valid for three months, to make it easier for the families to arrange another visit to the seaside before summer is out. Coverage has been epic with 153 pieces landing today but the real impact of this campaign for me was the incredible joy of the families on the bus this weekend. A do-good campaign with generosity at its core 💜 And a pleasure as always to partner with talented teams to bring this to life Ogilvy UK Olena Solodka (Shchegol) Amy Lucas Victoria Grzymek Tommy Curran Jones Kirsty Roxburgh Toby Rutherford Charlie Coney Jenny McCoubrey Sharon Hardwick Alice Wainwright Alice Martyr Tilly Broke-Smith Jessica Empson Jade Burtrand Christa Frimpong Andrew Harrison Claire Beard John MacLean Lucy M. Claire Quinton-Tulloch Graeme Lafferty Richard Harrison Grayers Graphics Phoebe Jenner PromoVeritas Emily B. Karranjit Sahota Photo credit: Jack Hall / PA Media