On Stage Issue 71 - Stagecoach Group

Hiking team
boosts cause
A TEAM of four Kettering bus depot
employees walked six miles to raise
money for Sports Relief.
Ron Steele, Tina Perridge, Suzanne
Wells and Veronica Steele limbered up
with daily exercises at the bus depot
in preparation for the big day.
Friends, relatives and colleagues
pledged £150 before the event, and the
team raised more with collection tins
on the day.
Team leader Ron Steele said:
“We have great team spirit here at
Stagecoach and we all challenged
each other to complete this walk.”
Ron was also going in at the deep
end for another charity recently when
he took part in a 5km swimathon at
his local swimming pool and raised
£200 for Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Keen to encourage colleagues to
embrace a healthy lifestyle, Ron
created an information board in
the depot carrying key messages
about diet. He has also arranged
corporate membership for Stagecoach
employees at a local fitness club and
is planning ‘eat healthy’ weeks in the
depot canteen.
Charity climb
summit special
INVERNESS driver Alex Mackenzie
has scaled the heights to raise cash for a
local charity.
Alex conquered Africa’s highest peak
Kilimanjaro and raised £7,700 for the
Highland Hospice.
Alex thanked the Stagecoach Group
Charitable Committee, the Gloag
Foundation and his colleagues for all
donations.
CHARITY ROUND-UP... CHARITY ROUND-UP...
Sponsored cycle is elementary for Gillian
AN ENGINEERING clerk with
Stagecoach North East saddled up to
raise cash for charity.
Gillian Watson of Gateshead
joined ten others from the Derwent
Trekkers to cycle 45 miles in aid of
the Gordon Stokoe Trust.
The Trust was founded in
honour of Gordon Stokoe who
died suddenly last year from a
brain tumour. Gordon had worked
tirelessly for charities and until his
untimely death had been working
to help poverty stricken families in
Tanzania.
His partner Margaret set up the
trust in his memory and the money
raised by the charity bike ride will be
used to aid education programmes
Gillian Watson and her fellow sponsored cyclists celebrate completing their challenge.
throughout Tanzania.
Complete with an extra boost from
Stagecoach, the sponsored cycle
raised £1000 in total.
Gillian said: “All my colleagues at
Children to benefit
from Bedford bonanza
Driver Vince Malandra and Assistant Operations Manager Dave Davis present
their cheque to the staff of Bedford Hospital’s children’s ward.
the depot supported me by making
donations and encouraging me,
and it was great for the company to
match the funds raised too as it has
made it all the more worthwhile.”
A STAGECOACH bus made a special
visit to Bedford Hospital to drop
off a £500 cheque for the Riverbank
children’s ward.
The money was raised by staff at
Stagecoach in Bedford who took part
in fundraising events throughout the
year, including Christmas events and
raffles.
Delighted Ward Sister Sue Llewellyn
said: “Donations like this really do
make a difference to the children
staying on the ward, as we can
purchase extra equipment which can
help to make their stay less traumatising.
“We would like to use this money to
upgrade our treatment room, as this
can often be a frightening place for
a child. We can decorate it in such a
way as to provide distractions for the
children during treatment procedures.”
Dave Bamburgh (left) and Eddie Porter
of Stagecoach North East at Teesside
with Anne Cooling of the Butterwick
Hospice.
Fundraising
in a different
league
A FOOTBALL-related fundraiser
scored a major donation for a
North East hospice.
Staff at Stagecoach North
East’s Teesside depot pitched
in with £750 during a raffle for
tickets to see Middlesbrough FC
play at the Riverside Stadium.
The money went to the
Butterwick Hospice, which
received another £9000 earlier
in the year thanks to Christmas
fundraising at Teesside.
John Conroy, Managing
Director at Stagecoach North
East, said: “We were happy to
support the initiative devised by
the Operations Manager Eddie
Porter at the depot.
“The money raised is
testament to the commitment
of all the staff in Teesside to
support such a worthy cause. We
are very proud of the continued
efforts of all involved to help the
Hospice.”
The depot will continue to
raise money for the Butterwick
Hospice throughout the year
through a series of social events
and sponsored activities.
Loyal staff recognised at awards ceremony
BUS driver Roger Thanner was
recognised for his 20 years of
service by Stagecoach Manchester
at a recent awards presentation
held at the city’s Radisson
Edwardian hotel.
A total of 42 Stagecoach staff, who
collectively have over 1,000 years
of service to the company, received
Award-winners at Manchester’s long service
awards ceremony.
Celebrating nearly 400 years of service
long service awards and a bouquet
of flowers for their guests at the
dinner.
Each of the loyal workers had
already received a high-quality gift
to mark the actual anniversary
of their employment with the
company.
Mark Threapleton, Managing
Director of Stagecoach Manchester,
commented: “I am delighted to
express my genuine appreciation
and congratulations to all our staff
who achieved their long service
award for their commitment to the
company. We are very proud to have
so many loyal and long-serving staff.
“Their dedication to the job has
helped establish and maintain our
good name in the region.
“Everyone at the awards had at
least 20 years’ service and five were
receiving 40-year awards, which is
no mean feat in any job.”
STAGECOACH North West
paid tribute to 15 long–serving
employees and retirees at a
special evening in Penrith.
Workers from Barrow, Carlisle,
Fleetwood, Kendal, Morecambe,
Preston, West Cumbria and Head
Office were all thanked for their
loyal service over a combined
total of 384 years.
Pictured (rear, from left) are:
Christopher Bowles, North West
Managing Director; Anthony
Munn (Carlisle Coach Painter) –
24 years’ service; Richard Elliott
(Carlisle Driver) – 30 years;
Stephen Todd (Kendal Driver)
– 20 years; Colin Nicholson
(Marketing Manager) – 20 years;
Ismail Dala (Preston Driver) – 20
years; Robert Edwards (Preston
Driver) – 24 years; Michael
Johnston (West Cumbria Driver)
– 20 years; Dennis Gainford (West
Cumbria Driver) – 21 years;
David Lloyd (Barrow Inspector)
– 21 years; Paul Lee (North West
Engineering Director).
Front (from left): John Fleming
(Carlisle Driver, retired) – 38
years; Harry Williams (Head
Office Service Quality Inspector)
– 35 years; Stephen Houghton
(Morecambe Inspector) – 20
years; James Melling (Preston
Driver) – 35 years; Alfred Gee
(Fleetwood Driver) – 30 years;
Colin Johnstone – (West Cumbria
Driver, retired) – 26 years.
Long-serving Stagecoach North West employees were honoured at an evening event
in Penrith.
Summer 08 15