On Stage Issue 75 - Stagecoach Group
Transcription
On Stage Issue 75 - Stagecoach Group
on stage Issue 75 | Summer 2009 The newsletter of Stagecoach Group Welcome to our new-look On Stage. Look out for some new features as well as stories from across the Group. Enjoy! All change at the top at SWT South West Trains Managing Director Stewart Palmer has announced he is to retire later this year. Mr Palmer (pictured above), whose career in the transport industry has spanned 37 years, will step down in October. Taking over as Managing Director of the South Western franchise will be Andy Pitt, currently Business Development Director for Stagecoach Rail Group. Top marks for Metrolink Manchester Metrolink has become the first tram system in the UK to have stops awarded Secure Stations status by the Department for Transport. Three stops – Old Trafford,Whitefield, and Harbour City – were given top marks after meeting the scheme’s safety and security guidelines. An independent judge from the British Transport Police assessed the design and management of the stops, and considered crime statistics and passenger surveys to see how safe passengers felt while using the stations. Group well-placed to weather storm o Stagecoach Group has announced strong annual results, but warned of tough times ahead in the coming financial year. The Group’s UK Bus division – widely recognised as the best in the transport sector – performed particularly well and the results were welcomed by financial analysts. Stagecoach and other operators are facing challenging trading conditions, particularly affecting rail operations in the UK, but the Group has taken steps to ensure it is operating as efficiently as possible. Group revenue for the year ending April 30, 2009, was up nearly 20% to more than £2 billion, while operating profit was up by 11% to £227.8 million. A strong performance was reported across the Group and Chief Executive Brian Souter said that, despite facing a challenging year ahead, the company is well placed to weather the economic storm. Stagecoach’s UK Bus operation continues to attract growing passenger numbers, with like-for-like passenger volumes up 3.2% and revenue up 11.7% to £830.8million compared to £743.9million in the previous year.The operating margin also increased to just over 15%. The results also showed continued growth for the UK Rail business. Revenue in the rail division was up 25.7% to £977.7million and passenger volumes have continued to rise, albeit at a slower rate of growth. Virgin Rail Group (VRG), in which Stagecoach has a 49% shareholding, also performed well despite the ongoing R e s u lt s Fa c t f il e R e v e n ue f ro m G ro u p b us in co n ti n u in g e ss e s u p 19 .3% Fu ll -ye a r d iv in cre a se d by ide n d 11.1% to 6 p U K B us li k efo r- li k e re v e n ue u p 8.9% U K R a il li k ere v e n ue u p fo r- li k e 6.2% disruption caused by the upgrade of the West Coast main line. Stagecoach’s share of VRG operating profit for the year was £42.7million, a slight rise on the previous year. In North America, the Group maintained operating margins at just over 10% despite the tough economy and the budget inter-city coach service megabus.com has continued to expand, with revenues up significantly from $11.3million the previous year to $35.8m for 2008-09. Commenting on the results, Mr Souter said: “There is no doubt the transport sector faces a challenging year ahead but I am confident that we can develop new ideas for future growth, maintain high-quality public transport services to our customers and deliver long-term value to our shareholders.” Corby celebrates Corby railway station in Northamptonshire has been officially opened, bringing with it a full East Midlands Trains timetable to London St Pancras Station. The new £8.3million station provides full access for disabled passengers and also has bicycle parking facilities. In addition to parking for 140 cars, there are facilities for other forms of transport, including a taxi rank and bus interchange. Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of East Midlands Trains, said:“We know just how much excitement and enthusiasm there is for our new train services between Corby and London and we A new railway station is the icing on the cake for East Midlands Trains’ services. are extremely proud to be the company bringing train services back to Corby for the first time since the 1960s.” 1 uk bus On the ball Congratulations to the football team at Stagecoach Merseyside who recently won the Volvo Cup for the third year in a row, beating Cardiff Bus 3-1. A special mention must go to the Merseyside goalkeeper who broke his arm in the first half but played on until half time! Ashton depot opens its doors Stagecoach Manchester has celebrated the official opening of its new Ashton bus depot at Unit 5 Riverside Works. The Worshipful the Civic Mayor and Mayoress of Tameside, Councillor Jack Davis and Mrs Carole Davis, joined Stagecoach Manchester Managing Director Mark Threapleton for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new Ashton depot was opened following the relocation of the company’s Glossop operation. Stagecoach has invested £2 million in the depot, which when at full capacity will see over 70 buses operate out of the new site, covering the company’s East Manchester and Ashton operating areas. The facility includes a six-bay engineering workshop, an office block and full vehicle wash facility, which uses a recycling unit to reduce water consumption. There are 173 employees at the new site, including driver, engineer, inspector and managerial roles. on stage You what?! (Overheard on a bus in Exeter.) Woman: “What’s made you late?” Driver: “I had a breakdown.” Woman: “Oh my husband had one of them – I hope you’re OK!” Can you beat that? Send your weird and wonderful overheard comments to [email protected] Busway vehicles ready to roll Stagecoach Cambridgeshire recently launched its fleet of 20 brand new, high-spec buses on routes between Huntingdon, St Ives and Cambridge. The vehicles – which will be used on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway when it opens later in the year – feature free wi-fi, leather seats and air conditioning, and have immediately proved popular with passengers. Stagecoach has invested £3 million in the vehicles, which all run on 100% bio fuel produced from recycled food waste. Philip Norwell, Stagecoach Cambridgeshire Commercial Director, said:“These new buses are absolutely fantastic. “There’s a whole host of extras which make journeys on them more comfortable than ever. “They’re the first buses in Cambridgeshire to run on the renewable fuel, which is an important step towards reducing exhaust emissions.” Cambridge’s new eco-friendly buses run on 100% bio-fuel. Keep on running three Stagecoach employees have helped raise thousands of pounds for charity by running the London Marathon. Stagecoach Merseyside Route Controller Vicky Williams successfully completed the marathon in 3 hours 45 minutes – a personal best for Vicky, who is also the Stagecoach Merseyside Green Champion. Her efforts also raised a total of £1800 for the charity Sense, which provides support for people who are deaf and blind. Meanwhile, Sunderland bus driver Sean Smith completed the race in three hours 12 minutes, raising over £300 for Macmillan Nurses. Congratulations are also due to Neil Cook of Stagecoach South Wales who finished the race in a time of 4 hours and 49 minutes, raising nearly £600 for Cancer Research Wales. Stagecoach staff clock up 1,430 years A pound goes a long way Stagecoach East Scotland staff recently took part in a ‘Bring a £1 to work day’ for the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS). Staff throughout Fife, Perth, Dundee and Angus brought £1 to work and raised £544, matched by Stagecoach East Scotland to give a grand total of £1000. A group of 51 dedicated Stagecoach Yorkshire staff have been rewarded for their loyalty after clocking up the equivalent of 35 lifetimes’ worth of work between them. The employees, who have completed a combined 1,430 years of service, were celebrated at a special presentation evening held at Ardsley House Hotel, in Barnsley. Among the long-serving staff were Philip Tomlinson, Charles Abrahams, Colin Hand and Anthony Philips, who have all worked for the company for 40 years. 2 uk bus / uk rail Dean’s a star pupil An apprentice body builder at Torquay depot in Devon has achieved perfect exam marks two years in a row. Dean Swift started with Stagecoach as a cleaner but later applied for an apprenticeship with the company. He has now achieved 100% in his exams for the past two years. South West Trains hitting the back of the net The Wessex Eagles Under-15 football team spent the winter months training indoors thanks to South West Trains. The train company donated £300 to help the footballers fund their weekly training at a local sports centre. Manager Steve Hayter said:“Without the help of South West Trains we wouldn’t have been able to afford to stay indoors for the whole of the winter period.” Bus companies in line for top national award Two Stagecoach bus companies are competing for a top honour at the 2009 National Transport Awards. Stagecoach Bluebird and Stagecoach in Fife have both been shortlisted for the prestigious Chris Moyes Award for Public Transport Operator of the Year. The two companies will be up against several other bus and rail operators for the title at the awards ceremony on July 22 at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. Committed to excellence East Midlands Trains has been awarded the prestigious Committed to Excellence Award (C2E) by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). The accolade, awarded following an external assessment, recognised the company’s achievements in business excellence. on stage Spotlight on… The Salisbury Station and Depot Team The South West Trains Salisbury Station team comprises the station staff, guards and drivers Steve Chislett, Nigel Crowe, Mike Pearce, Chris Jendensen and Samir Bares. They make sure customers receive a punctual train service and a high standard of customer care, both on board the trains and at the station. At a recent event to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Salisbury-Gillingham line, they demonstrated that teamwork is worth more than a generous budget. Staff gave up their own time to organise the celebration, giving everyone associated with Salisbury a sense of pride and achievement. The Salisbury staff are proud of where they work, and of the people they work with, and demonstrate this through their commitment to the local community and first-class customer service. Destination yesteryear The London to Havant line (via Liss and Petersfield) celebrated its 150th anniversary recently. To mark the occasion, Petersfield Station Manager Kim Blake worked with Petersfield Town Council to organise and host a day of Victorian-style fun at the station. South West Trains Managing Director Stewart Palmer, who donned Victorian garb to unveil a plaque at the station, thanked Kim and her team for creating a truly great and memorable day. “It’s fantastic to see the station team getting so involved with the local community,” he commented. Pictured at the event are (from left): Mike Baldwin, DSM Portsmouth;Tony King, FSM Portsmouth; Stewart Palmer, MD SSWT; Russell Hook, DSM Portsmouth and Kim Blake, SM Petersfield. me... a n d o o g a g Give a do d for the Blin Guide Dogs has been given the e th f o er rt h As a suppo K, Stagecoac across the U of the charity’s puppies. ns Association e name suggestio to name on opportunity invited to provide as many ng name will ni Staff are being e next few weeks.The win cal area. th lo er r’s ov ne in le w ib ss e ide as po n pup in th or -b s travel for gu s w bu ne e a fre to g in id A ov y. pr be given tr n ecoach bega volunteers across the coun to In 2005, Stag r ce ke an al w ch y e d pupp given th dog trainers an oach employees are being ec ed. ag ur St ct pi d, e ar w on a re ner will p, like the pu n or used, the win -b n w tio es gg su the e name a ne m ppy, as well as ng their na As well as havi and a biography of the pu r ‘pupdates’ on otos gula also receive ph eet the pup and receive re m to ity un rt po op es an two syllabl its progress. be no more th ntries should be ld ou sh es m Suggested na more than nine letters. E sted no up.com or po and must have y.reid@stagecoachgro , er ag an M sa ns d emailed to lin Corporate Communicatio PH1 5TW.The d, h, to Lindsay Rei up, 10 Dunkeld Road, Pert 09. 20 ro t G us ch ug oa A ec 14 ag St ies is Friday tr en r fo te da closing 3 uk bus Letter from Number 10 Stagecoach apprentice James Bellfield was brimming with pride after receiving a personal letter from the Prime Minister following a national award win. Gordon Brown personally wrote to James to congratulate him on his accolade, which recognised him as the leading talent in the Transport Engineering and Maintenance category at the GoSkills Passenger Transport Apprenticeship Awards. on stage holiday escape Spick and span During a recent holiday to Perth, Lincoln Depot cleaner Jane Webster noticed something wasn’t quite right at Group headquarters and decided to do her bit to help! Each edition, we’re looking for your interesting and unique holiday photos. Email your snaps to lindsay.reid@stagecoach group.com along with a paragraph about where you were and what the photo shows. That’s better! New fleet for Oxford Tube Pictured, from left, are: Richard Little, Harry Roles, Mike Turner, Gary Moore, Margaret McNamara, Rose Thomason and Ann Bell. A helping hand for a colleague When West Cumbrian bus driver Gary Moore suffered spinal injuries in a motorcycle accident, his colleagues did their bit to help. Not only did they collect £1100 towards his medical expenses, they also organised a prize draw which, when combined with other donations, raised a further £1320 for a computer. On behalf of Gary, Mike would like to thank everybody involved for their help and generosity. Bunny money Stagecoach Yorkshire driver Dwynne Percival raised almost £600 for Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield by dressing as an Easter bunny and handing out chocolate eggs in return for donations. Dwynne was treated at the hospital after falling ill with a brain tumour and decided it was time to repay the staff for all their support. Stagecoach is investing more than £9 million in a new fleet of vehicles for its Oxford Tube network – the most frequent express coach service in Europe. The fleet of 26 new Van Hool Astromega double deck coaches – each costing more than £350,000 – is being built in Belgium. Oxford Tube runs a 24-hour service every day of the year with coaches running between Oxford and London up to every 10 minutes at peak times. The 87-seat vehicles, which have two staircases, are equipped with wi-fi, toilets, air conditioning, reclining seats, generous legroom, seatbelts, powerpoints for laptops and mobile phones, GPS tracking and CCTV for personal security. Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said:“This is the third complete fleet replacement for the Oxford Tube in 10 years and it is evidence of our commitment to investing in Europe’s premier express coach service.” Enjoying the great outdoors A group of UK Bus apprentices headed for the great outdoors recently as they visited an outward bound centre in North Devon to learn skills in team building, motivation and leadership. The 64-strong group took part in abseiling, team challenges, assault courses and raft building during their week-long stay. At the end of the trip, each apprentice gave a presentation on what they had learned and all impressed staff with their attitude and enthusiasm. Apprentices go outward bound. Employees scoop top awards Stagecoach won two top awards at the second annual Passenger Transport Management Awards (PTMA). The awards recognise managers at all levels in the UK’s public transport industry, rewarding them for their skills, talent and commitment. Stagecoach Manchester Fleet Engineer Mike Brinicombe, who is based at the company’s Princess Road depot, won the New Engineering Award for the pride and passion he shows for his people, his passengers and his profession. Stuart Roughley made it a double success for Stagecoach Manchester when he was named joint winner of the Local and Operational Management Award. Stuart, Operations Manager at the company’s Hyde Road Depot, was rewarded for his drive and enthusiasm – qualities which have lasted throughout his 31 years in the transport industry. Stagecoach UK Bus Managing Director, Les Warneford, said:“This success demonstrates the quality we have within our ranks.” 4 uk rail Teamworks winners The latest winners of the South West Trains Teamworks Award were the cross-functional Clapham engineering works planning team. Nominated by Jim O’Brien, Flagship Station Manager at Clapham Junction, the team were involved in planning for the engineering works that took place over an 11-day period at Christmas. Jim said:“As a result of the team’s excellent planning, customers were well informed prior to the works and given alternatives. “If on the day they had to use the service, they were met by professional, knowledgeable people who were able to assist them in using the request service between Barnes and Clapham Junction.” Bid disappointment Stagecoach Group recently learned that it was unsuccessful in its latest rail bid for the South Central franchise in London. The franchise was awarded to the incumbent, Go-Via, despite Stagecoach putting forward a high-quality, competitive bid. While disappointed in the outcome, the Group has a strong existing rail portfolio and will continue to assess any further rail franchise opportunities in the future. Record-breakers East Midlands Trains has announced its best ever punctuality performance, with the latest figures showing 94% of trains are on time. Mark Steward, Operations Director for East Midlands Trains, said:“This is a fantastic result, and one that we are very proud of. “This is our best period of performance since the franchise started in November 2007, and demonstrates that the investments we have been making are starting to really pay off.” on stage Picture of the season WIN A £50 VOUCHER This edition’s winning Picture of the Season was taken by Krzysztof Uszou from Stagecoach in Cheltenham. It shows a Service 14 bus in Gloucester on a summer’s day. Congratulations to Krzysztof who will shortly receive his prize of £50 of M&S vouchers. If you think you have a picture that captures one of the four seasons, please send your image to Lindsay Reid, On Stage, Stagecoach Group, 10 Dunkeld Road, Perth PH1 5TW, or email it to [email protected] Frank’s at the heart of Herston Halt South West Trains employee Frank Roberts has reached a major milestone in his lifelong ambition to rebuild part of the Swanage heritage railway in Dorset. Station Manager Frank has invested 25 years of his life and thousands of pounds of his own money to complete a series of projects on the Swanage Railway. One of his main objectives was to rebuild the Herston Halt platform to allow trains to stop. After months of hard work, that project is now complete and, along with the many volunteers who helped him, Frank took centre stage during a celebration in Swanage to mark the official opening of the rebuilt platform. Frank, who lives in Swanage, was in the Army for 25 years and developed an interest in the Swanage Railway while posted to Blandford Camp in 1984. He persuaded the Army to volunteer on railway projects within the local community – a tradition that has continued ever since. Frank and his fellow volunteers spent 22 years installing the railway’s telecommunication system. Now, as Station Manager for Staines and Windsor – and despite also studying for a BSc in Railway Operation with the Institution of Railway Operators – Frank has continued to invest time and money in the Railway, most notably at Herston Halt. Having demolished the original wooden platform in January 2009, Frank and his team of soldiers and Team Herston volunteers were gifted with a kit platform from Woodside Station, which is now part of the Croydon tram link. They worked tirelessly to ensure that the new platform was successfully rebuilt just three months later at a cost of just £10,000. Frank said:“When I left the Army, I thought military support for the Railway might decline but I’m delighted to say it has actually increased. “It’s a wonderful achievement and, along with the people of Swanage, we should thank the hundreds of soldiers who have given up their time over the past 25 years to help restore and preserve this important heritage railway.” Pink ladies Supertram ladies and some of their family members were in the pink recently as they took part in the Race for Life. Attired in striking pink tutus, matching T-shirts and eye-catching bunny ears, the ladies raised funds for Cancer Research UK by completing the 5km race and had a fun day out into the bargain. 5 the green scene Green Week pics This Poster was created by Amy Grange A pupil of St. Monica’s RC High School Specialist Language and Applied Learning College, Prestwich, Manchester It was the winning poster in a competition “What Does Green Mean to You?” organised by Stagecoach Metrolink as part of its Green Week activities, a carbon management initiative by Stagecoach Group, operators of Bus, Rail and Light Rail Services across the country. on stage Ted’s our eco-champion Eco-friendly Ted Ingle is Stagecoach Group’s Green Champion – the staff member who has contributed most to cutting the company’s carbon footprint. A Safety and Quality Manager at East Midlands Trains’ Neville Hill Depot,Ted beat off strong competition from across the Group, including runners-up Phil Johnston from South West Trains, Michael Johnston from Stagecoach in Bedford and John Emberson from Coach USA. Ted’s most recent achievement was a new disposal system for the estimated 480 tonnes a year of waste removed when trains are cleaned. Now, 80% of all off-train waste at the Neville Hill Depot in Leeds, is recycled – saving some £25,000 a year. Receiving his prize of a two-night British hotel break,Ted said:“It’s very flattering to think that my colleagues nominated me as the Green Champion – and to win is brilliant.” Eco-warrior: Stagecoach Group Green Champion Ted Ingle. Green Week drives home the message The Stagecoach East Midlands ‘green team’ prepare to visit Gainsborough, Worksop and Mansfield to distribute their green kits. Stagecoach in Fife customer Ian Montgomery was the lucky winner of a year’s free travel on local services after entering the Green Week competition. Stageoach North East staff are dressed for the occasion as they make the most of Green Week. Stagecoach North West Operations Manager Paul Wainwright presented the company’s Green Week competition winner Gary Hall with his annual Megarider prize pass. Stagecoach’s first Group-wide Green Week was hailed a great success. During the April event, staff and customers across the UK, North America and Canada enjoyed activities aimed at promoting the environmental benefits of public transport. Stagecoach also outlined its commitment to reducing its own carbon footprint. Bringing Green Week to a close, Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Brian Souter said:“It’s very pleasing to see that, even when times are tough, people still care about the environment. “Green Week is just one element of our on-going environment strategy.We will continue to promote low-carbon, reliable and good-value public transport, as well as striving to further reduce our own carbon footprint day in, day out across every area of our business.” Among the events held throughout Green Week was an online customer competition for 20 people across the UK to win a year’s free travel on their local Stagecoach bus network. More than 20,000 free ‘green kits’ were distributed across the country from bus stations, while hundreds of school pupils also took part in Green Week through a green poster competition. In addition, green roadshows and demonstration events were held across Stagecoach’s rail operations, along with energy saving trials and initiatives. Coach Canada cleans up on the highway Coach Canada celebrated Green Week across its nine locations in Ontario and Quebec. The company has adopted a ‘simple actions, big impact’ approach to reducing energy, waste and carbon and, each day throughout the week, Coach Canada had ‘lights out’ for 15 minutes. Employees are also cleaning up a 3km stretch of road close to its Head Office as part of an Adopta-Road program. Courtney Hogg, Sarah Brooks, Kim Scott and Jessica Post from Coach Canada clean up the highway as part of the Adopt-a-Road programme. Publicity campaign is up, up and away Following the announcement of its groundbreaking £350,000 green programme late last year, Stagecoach North East has launched Ready Steady Green, the communication element of the scheme which is set to engage its 1,700 staff. To mark the launch – and the start of a new energy-efficient era for the company – the company released hundreds of biodegradable balloons from its head office in Sunderland. The Ready Steady Green handbook informs every employee about the company’s environmental vision and features guidelines on improving energy efficiency at each depot. 6 north america / uk bus Speaking up Stagecoach is reminding employees across the Group about its whistleblowing policy, which ensures individuals can raise serious concerns constructively and in confidence. The Group’s ‘Speaking up’ policy applies to all divisions, companies and employees, and covers issues such as financial malpractice, safety concerns or practices that could be a danger to the public or the environment. A copy of the policy is available on the Stagecoach Group website at www. stagecoachgroup.com/scg/media/ publications/policydocs/speakingup.pdf If you have a concern about malpractice, Stagecoach hopes you will feel able to first raise it with your line manager.This may be done verbally or in writing. However, if you feel unable to raise the matter with your immediate line manager, for whatever reason, you can raise the issue with a Director of the Company. Alternatively, you can contact Stagecoach Group Deputy Company Secretary Mike Vaux, tel +44 (0)1738 642043 or email [email protected] You can also email your concerns in confidence to [email protected] Treble triumph Paul Herbert of Stagecoach West has been named the company’s Bus Driver of the Year for the third time in a row. Cheltenham driver Paul (pictured left) received his trophy from Operations Director Sholto Thomas at Cheltenham Race Course. Runner-up was Marcin Aleksandrowicz also from Cheltenham, with Suzanne Blewitt from Coleford picking up third place. Wales gets Wi-Fi Stagecoach South Wales recently introduced 17 brand new vehicles on its X4 route – the first of its fleet to offer Wi-Fi technology. Cllr Kate Lloyd, Lord Mayor of Cardiff, said:“This is great news for Cardiff, especially for those people who have mobility problems or parents with pushchairs.” on stage All-time high for megabus.com megabus.com, the market-leading budget inter-city coach service, has attracted one million passengers in North America in the past six months as the airline and car industries are hit by the economic downturn. Sales at megabus.com in North America grew by 183% between May 1, 2008, and April 30, 2009, and it has now carried more than 3 million passengers since its launch in April 2006. The figures were released as the International Air Transport Association announced it had doubled its forecast for global airline losses to $9 billion this year. Total US car sales are down by more than 33% compared with May 2008, with high-profile manufacturers filing for bankcruptcy and the industry seeking billions of dollars in government aid to survive the downturn. Canny consumers, meanwhile, are snapping up bargain inter-city coach travel with megabus.com, benefiting from fares from just $1 available via the internet. Dale Moser, President and COO of megabus. com in North America, said:“While the public is feeling the effects of the current US economy, megabus.com has fast become the perfect solution for those looking to stretch their travel dollar. “The rapid rise to three million customers is proof of that.” Tricia Brennan’s Ghana diary As reported in the last edition of On Stage, South West driver training officer Tricia Brennan spent time in Ghana earlier this year, assisting with driver training for the Women’s Transport Cooperative in Ghana’s capital city, Accra. Here are some extracts from Tricia’s journal during her visit: Left for Ghana this morning from Terminal Five.Took about an hour to get through customs immigration and baggage reclaim. Managed to spot my guide Ekow and we got in a taxi – I use the term loosely as there were no seatbelts and it sounded as though the back axle was about to drop off. However it got us to the SSNIT Guest House and I was taken to my room – basic but quite adequate. Saturday 18 Jan On to the bus with Ekow and Ruth, the Women’s Cooperative Transport Manager, for a trip to visit Road Safety Ltd in Tema.Then back to Accra on the bus before heading off to the National Road Safety Commission where I am likely to have some input into discussions on training and road safety. Watched President Obama’s inauguration. The edges are worn away, leaving a drop of about two feet. Rita did spectacularly well. I had to do a handbrake stop just once.We lost the nearside wing mirror at one point but these things happen. Tomorrow is a new day! Ekow and I went to the Ministry of Health where I drafted out an assessment form for their drivers. There are 43 drivers to be assessed – I’m going to be busy! Wednesday 11 Feb We managed to get all 43 drivers assessed in six days and one hour. It was then time to depart for Kotoka International Airport. Monday 23 Feb So, here I am back in Blighty having had a great adventure.Thanks to everyone who made this trip possible. Tuesday 20 Jan Introduced to one of the Cooperative’s vans to check over. Oh dear! It has not moved since November – horn not working, no road tax and, frighteningly, someone had welded the side sliding door closed. Apparently passengers were supposed to be able to travel in the back of the van. I said to Ekow:“No way!” Monday 26 Jan The van had been taxed and it started! Rita, my trainee, is a novice and has not driven since May. However, she is so confident and determined that it is a pleasure.The road is in bad condition. Tuesday 27 Jan Transport Supervisor Emmanuel, Transport Manager for the Ministry of Health Seka Aleja Dumba, Tricia Brennan and Ekow. 7 people page Divene gets on board Divene Anderson, a marketing graduate from the University of the West of England, has recently taken up the position of Marketing Assistant at Stagecoach West and Stagecoach South Wales. Divene will support the development and management of new Stagecoach promotions, as well as working with the commercial department to ensure efficient ongoing communication of bus service information to customers. East Midlands Long Service Awards During 2008, 35 Stagecoach East Midland employees achieved qualifying periods of long service. Many of these went to a special presentation dinner at Branston Hall Hotel, Lincoln, attended by Robert Andrew, Regional Director North. CONTACTS Editor: Lindsay Reid, On Stage, Stagecoach Group, 10 Dunkeld Road, Perth, PH1 5TW Tel: +44 (0)1738 442111 Fax: +44 (0)1738 443076 Email: [email protected] www.stagecoach.com If you have a story for On Stage, please contact Lindsay Reid as above. The copy deadline for the next edition of On Stage will be the second week of August, 2009. on stage – Lindsay d n u o r e r The quickfi u? Who are yo roup Corporate G d Editor of Lindsay Reid, ns Manager an io at ic un m Com On Stage. about your u like most What do yo job? ery day. w happens ev t your job? Something ne ou ab t as u like le What do yo 4am starts! V show? Favourite T e. The Apprentic ment? ve ie h ac business for Biggest essful singing special cc su a ng ni Run ts of d singing at lo three years an rties. pa weddings and Worst job? rl at Iceland! Fruit & veg gi ssing moment? ra ar b y falling Most em many. Probabl I was en be ve ha re ai The aint n (although I m out of a boat Reid a pushed!) into To this . nd po g boatin provides y day, that stor ent to em us great am friends. d my family an ? b jo Dream actor To be an X-F nzees. judge. imal? Chimpa Favourite an e stuck in a lift with….. b Most like to n help us get out! Or ca Anyone who l. Simon Cowel Round , the Quickfire From now on ery edition of On ev will feature in ant to hear from as w e Stage and w ssible.To suggest the po many staff as t, email an ip ic rt next pa up.com stagecoachgro lindsay.reid@ Gary goes globetrotting Stagecoach Manchester has bid farewell to one of its longest-serving members of staff, who’s completed 40 years of service with the company. Gary Griffies (65), from Cheadle Hulme, retired as a traffic auditor, a position that made him a familiar face on the Manchester bus scene for the past 11 years. Gary now plans to travel the world and is making plans to visit Canada and Alaska this year. Stagecoach Manchester Managing Director Mark Threapleton is shown thanking Gary for his sterling service. Fully qualified Stagecoach UK Bus employees Doris Watt and Alison McGregor have completed a modern apprenticeship to become Contact Centre Level 3 Professionals. Senior Administrator Doris and Telesales Team Leader Alison spent a year working towards the enhanced qualification, which also included passing five core skills programmes and two additional units. Doris and Alison are pictured with their tutor, Lexi Smart, Contracts Co-ordinator for Intec Business Colleges. 8