Community Programmes
We use our community partnerships to deliver positive change in our communities. We work with many groups to reduce vandalism and anti-social behaviour, which damage communities and our business. We are keen to make a positive contribution, in particular by helping young people to understand the consequences of their actions.
In Aberdeen our anti-vandalism bus provides an educational resource for schools. In several parts of the country our drivers visit schools or work with community groups to describe first-hand how it feels to be at the receiving end of antisocial behaviour. We also sponsor sports and educational programmes in socially deprived areas.
In Manchester, working with the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, we supported a special football tournament designed to teach children about being good citizens.
In Aberdeen and Glasgow First Football tournaments take place in the winter months. These are targeted specifically at Social Inclusion Partnership areas where vandalism and crime tend to be high.
In the South West we have supported ten Football League clubs through our First Football initiative.
In our UK Rail division our Adopt a Station programmes help communities to improve the station environment and make productive use of unused station buildings. We also engage in a number of community partnerships designed to promote the local economy by encouraging rail travel. Working with Severnside Community Rail Partnership we have transformed vandalised and run-down stations on a little-used route run by First Great Western. This has resulted in a 32% increase in line use during the last 12 months.
In North America our school buses often provide transportation for charity events. Our Fill a Bus programmes operate in many parts of the country to collect and donate items such as toys, food or supplies to local causes.
The YES project with Save the Children aims to build self-confidence and self-esteem in young people aged 12-18 by encouraging them to become more engaged in school and community activity.
We have supported the Kidscape anti-bullying campaign by funding leaflets offering safety information and advice on coping with bullying.
In Glasgow we have set up what we believe to be a unique partnership with Marie Curie Cancer Care. Lost property is no longer held at our depots but logged and passed directly to charity shops in the area. If unclaimed after one month, the goods are sold to raise funds for the shops. We supplement this initiative with an annual £10,000 donation.
In Aberdeen we have provided funding to the Scottish Spina Bifida Association to help establish a specialist health check clinic for adults.
In Hull we have launched a three-year sponsorship fund facilitated by SportsAid helping five East Yorkshire Athletes to get on track for the 2012 London Olympics. We are also sponsoring Nicky McMurtrie (aged 15) to train for the 2014 Commonwealth Games field events.
In August this year we were the official transport partner for the UK School Games in Bristol. 1,500 young competitors gathered in Bath to compete in the games, an event which simulates a major adult sporting competition. We transported 1,500 young people from across the UK to the athletes' village and carried them between four venues in Bristol, Bath and Somerset using our yellow school buses.
First TransPennine Express has a long-term partnership with the Forestry Commission. The partnership has pledged £100,000 to improve the biodiversity of woodlands close to stations and rail routes.
In California we work with Operation Dreamlift to provide transport from the airport to Disneyland for terminally ill children from Canada.
In North America our partnership with the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund provides transport services for underprivileged children attending a six-week basketball camp.