Summer 2015 linked

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Summer 2015

The magazine for First people in the West of England

r o f p u d e v v e r r Drive

EVEN S E G PA

k e r t e k i b

MAJOR INVESTMENT IN NEW ECO-FRIENDLY BUSES &TECHNOLOGY See Group News PAGE SIX

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It is vital we communicate with all our colleagues

By Managing Director

James Freeman

COMMUNICATION with colleagues is one of the most important parts of a successful business – and always very much at the forefront of my mind. That is why I am delighted to be writing to you again in this introduction column to the latest issue of Linked.

As you will know by now, this quarterly magazine, along with the weekly electronic newsletter The Word provides news and views from around the depots in The West of England and keeps everyone in touch with what is going on.

Over the last few weeks I have been continuing my mission to get out and about and meet as many of you as possible. In May, I joined a 17-strong team who took part in an intensive bus cleaning exercise at Lawrence Hill. This was part of a step change in interior cleanliness, which has already attracted a lot of positive comments.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Andrew Sherrington to the First West of England OpCo. He has been appointed as General Manager for Avon and West Wiltshire and there will be a focus on Andrew and the role he will play in the company in the next magazine.

As for this issue, you will find details about a new awards scheme called Cheers Drive, aimed at further improving standards of customer service. And the spotlight is shed on those drivers who have received DriveGreen Fleet Elite awards, recognising their high standards at the wheel.

I am also delighted to report that fundraising is very much at the forefront as well – with stories on charity cycle rides, football matches and the start of our campaign with Prostate Cancer UK.

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SUMMER 2015

Awards aim to

boost service HEERS Drive! That is the way many Bristolians thank First drivers for a pleasant and efficient trip – and now it is also the name of a new awards scheme designed to help further improve standards of customer service.

First West of England has teamed up with Destination Bristol and Bristol Shopping Quarter – Broadmead, The Galleries and Cabot Circus – to launch the Cheers Drive Awards.

The aim is to recognise the important role bus drivers play in transporting visitors and residents around the city and the impact good customer service can have on their experience.

While many of Bristol’s 900 bus drivers already CHEERS deliver a good standard DRIVE: of customer service, A passenger First recognises that gives the traditional improvements can Bristolian thank you always be made. to Driver Terry The company believes Barnett. by rewarding the positive attributes of those drivers who are already making a difference, others will be encouraged to Each month a panel of adopt similar behaviours – and people from First, Destination standards across the board will Bristol and Bristol Shopping rise further.

Quarter will meet to choose a The scheme, which was winner who will receive a launched in April and will initially special Cheers Drive thumbs up run for six months, works by pin badge, a certificate and a customers nominating drivers £100 voucher to spend in the who provide good service – for store of their choice. example, brightening a First West of England customer’s day with a cheery Managing Director James hello or goodbye, or by going Freeman, said: “We know we the extra mile to help someone don’t always get it right but who is lost and in need of conversely we also know that assistance

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we have a number of fantastic drivers out there, doing a hard job in difficult conditions.

“Those who make a difference to the lives of their passengers deserve to be acknowledged and this is what we’re seeking to do.”

■ Customers can nominate a driver by going online at firstgroup.com/cheersdrive or by calling customer services on 0117 244 4040.

Zero tolerance on gender violence FIRST has joined a campaign to make Bristol a city with a zero tolerance approach to gender-based violence and abuse.

The company is among a number of leading organisations which have pledged to work together to tackle the issue and offer support to those affected as well as encourage people to report abuse.

The campaign, which is backed by Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson, is being led by the Bristol Women’s Commission.

Managing Director James Freeman said: “Eradicating gender-based violence is important and we recognise that as leading employers in the city we must play our part in this.

“We have robust processes in place to help us identify and deal with any incidents that would cause us concern, and we’re about to launch our newly updated Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy, which further underpins our efforts in this area.”

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Apprentice scoops another accolade APPRENTICE Mechanic Tina Haden-Williams, pictured, has engineered success in another awards scheme after scooping the title of Outstanding Apprentice of the Year at the Bristol Post and Bath Chronicle Apprentice Awards.

Tina, a third-year apprentice at Lawrence Hill, has already taken one top prize this year – she was named Passenger Transport Advanced

Apprentice of the Year at the People 1st Apprenticeship Awards in February.

And there could be more glory in the pipeline as she is also in the running for an award in the FTA everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards, due to be announced in London on 3 June.

First West of England Managing Director James Freeman said: “Tina is a real

asset to our team. She is one of a number of apprentices that we employ, all of whom show great promise for the future.

“Success at awards like this underlines the excellent work going on around our business within both the engineering and training departments.”

Ashley tackles station blaze PERATIONS Team Supervisor Ashley Robbins proved himself to be cool, calm and collected when cleaners at Bristol bus station reported a fire in one of the cubicles in the gents toilets.

Ashley was off duty but quickly took control of the situation, ordering the evacuation of the surrounding area and making sure the fire brigade had been called.

He then grabbed a fire extinguisher to tackle the blaze which had been started deliberately and had caused extensive damage. By the time the fire service arrived the flames were out and Ashley has now been chosen as a First Superstar in recognition of his actions.

Lawrence Hill Punctuality and Reliability Manager Matthew Parker said Ashley’s prompt response had prevented more serious damage and the possibility of people getting

Ashley Robbins took prompt action with a fire extinguisher to put out a fire at Bristol bus station.

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hurt. He added: “When Ashley went into the toilets there was smoke and flames coming from the cubicle. Someone had stuffed the toilet bowl with paper, soaked it with some sort of accelerant and then set fire to it.

“The ceramic toilet bowl had shattered and there was a lot of damage to the cubicle walls. If Ashley had not stepped in to take control of the situation it could

have been a lot worse and we could even have been looking at injuries to members of staff or the public.”

A modest Ashley, who joined First as an apprentice six years ago when he was 18, said: “When I was told about the fire in the toilets I just did what needed to be done. I am sure any other member of First staff would have reacted in exactly the same way.”

Postal service supports city’s green credentials

Receptionists Fran Edwards, left, and Wendy Couzens with letters and stamps for the fossil fuel-free postal service.

A fossil fuel-free postal delivery service being used at First as part of its commitment to supporting Bristol as the European Green Capital for 2015.

The bicycle-based service means that all First post being sent out to addresses in the BS1-BS9 or BS12 to BS16 areas can be posted using special stamps and that no fossil fuel will be

used to power vehicles during its collection or delivery.

The service also operates using Bristol Pounds – allowing First to ensure that any money spent on the service is kept within the local economy.

To use this service for business mail just give letters to Receptionists Fran Edwards or Wendy Couzens and they will arrange collection.

SUMMER 2015

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Tracy Jackson with the magazine in which she featured on the cover in the early 1990s.

Gruelling cycle ride set to raise £4,000 FIRST drivers and other staff abandoned their buses in favour of muscle power when they took part in a gruelling charity cycle ride from Bristol to Poole.

In total, 32 employees from First depots across the city tackled the 68-mile journey alongside 25 friends and relatives and with a support team of 12. Battling against a strong headwind, they braved the twists and turns of the road, muscle spasms and bouts of cramp, to complete the journey in a respectable nine hours.

The sponsored ride was in aid of First’s new charity partner Prostate Cancer UK and is expected to have raised around £4,000 when all the money is collected in.

Lawrence Hill Traffic Controller Martin Rogers, whose father was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year, organised the event.

He said: “Everyone who set out from Bristol completed the trip although there were one or two who suffered along the way.

“It was pretty tough and there was a strong headwind which made things quite difficult at times. We are all delighted at how it went and with the amount of money raised for the charity.”

Bronze Fleet Elite awardee Robert Husar shows his badge.

high standards

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SUMMER 2015

ORE than 60 drivers across the First West of England region have been recognised for their driving skills and attention to detail in the latest round of DriveGreen Fleet Elite awards.

Based on hundreds of hours of driving during 2014, Gold Awards have been presented to 15 drivers, Silver to 20 and Bronze to 26.

Hengrove drivers did particularly well with four achieving Gold status. They were Rupert Collins who covered 1,296 with an average score of four; Stephen Southway, 1,055 miles, average score one; Michal Kopciuch, 1,698 miles, average score two; and Marek Berest, who clocked up an amazing 2,263 driving hours in 2014 with an average score of four.

Three Lawrence Hill drivers were also among the Gold award winners – Krystian Bulski, 1,322 miles, average score four; David Jones, 978 miles, average score four; and John Mathias, 697 miles, average score zero.

Weston’s Claire Bayliss also achieved Gold with 1,355 hours and an average score of three, as did three Bath and Wells drivers – Philip Jones, 1,224 miles, average score two; Mike Whitaker, 666 miles, average score five; and Abby Bellwood, 1,556 miles, average score one.

First West of England Managing

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Hengrove Gold Fleet Elite awardee Marek Berest who clocked up 2,263 driving hours in 2014 with an average score of four.

New PR Manager HENGROVE Driver Chris Hanson, pictured, has been recruited as PR Manager for the First West of England on a temporary basis.

He is providing cover for Karen Duffett – who is now on maternity leave until April 2016. Chris has a background in journalism and TV studies and will work to promote the OpCo to local newspapers and other media.

Lawrence Hill Gold Fleet Elite stars Krystian Bulski, left, and John Mathias point to the DriveGreen LED display.

Top status recognises

Strong weekly sales through mTicketing PASSENGERS across the First West of England region have given the thumbs up to mTicketing with strong sales averaging £29,000 a week so far this year. More than 5,000 unique users have purchased tickets using the mTicketing system so far in 2015, with total sales adding up to more than £400,000. The best selling tickets are the Bristol Inner Zone Week and Month Tickets which have grossed £53,000 and £49,000 this year respectively.

A wide range of tickets are available via mTicketing including day tickets (bought in blocks of five), and Week, Month and Singles (bought in blocks of 10). mTicketing has also recently been extended to the Bath Park and Ride service in the form of Single Tickets (bought in blocks of 10).

Clive Rugg has Bronze Fleet Elite status tied up.

Weston’s Claire Bayliss proudly displays her Gold Fleet Elite badge.

Familiar face on an old magazine cover JOURNALISTS working on Linked magazine were sorting through some old publications when they came across a familiar face in a magazine.

Smiling out from the front cover of Wheels of Time, a nostalgic look at old buses and trams published in the early 1990s by PMT – First Group’s predecessors in the Potteries – was a very young-looking Tracy Jackson, then a Driver and now a Staff Manager with First Bath.

In the sepia image, Tracy, who left Stoke-on-Trent in 2004 to work for First in Bristol and later at Bath, is wearing an old fashioned bus conductress uniform complete with cap and a hand-cranked ticket machine.

Tracy said: “I remember that picture being taken. I would have been in my early 30s at that time and I wore the old uniform because my nan had been a PMT clippy. My grandad was a bus mechanic and my father and one of my uncles were both drivers.

“I will be 50 later this year and I just wish I had as few wrinkles on my face now as I did then,” she joked.

Hengrove Gold Fleet Elite Driver Rupert Collins checks the depot’s weekly DriveGreen scores.

Director James Freeman said he was delighted by the dedication and professionalism of all the region’s Fleet Elite status drivers.

He added: “Congratulations to all of our winners and a big thank you for maintaining a consistently good driving standard.”

First West of England Driving Standards Manager David Moore said: “All our drivers are real professionals who take a great deal of pride in delivering a safe and efficient

service to customers.The Fleet Elite awards are a good way of recognising the skill and sheer hard work that they put into their jobs.”

To qualify for Fleet Elite status, drivers must maintain a DriveGreen score of five or below in the year and have recorded more than 500 driving hours.

Drivers achieve Bronze status after one year, Silver after two and Gold after three or more years of meeting the qualification standard.

Tracy pictured posing in a “clippy” uniform dating from the late 1950s for the cover photo.

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Tracy Jackson with the magazine in which she featured on the cover in the early 1990s.

Gruelling cycle ride set to raise £4,000 FIRST drivers and other staff abandoned their buses in favour of muscle power when they took part in a gruelling charity cycle ride from Bristol to Poole.

In total, 32 employees from First depots across the city tackled the 68-mile journey alongside 25 friends and relatives and with a support team of 12. Battling against a strong headwind, they braved the twists and turns of the road, muscle spasms and bouts of cramp, to complete the journey in a respectable nine hours.

The sponsored ride was in aid of First’s new charity partner Prostate Cancer UK and is expected to have raised around £4,000 when all the money is collected in.

Lawrence Hill Traffic Controller Martin Rogers, whose father was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year, organised the event.

He said: “Everyone who set out from Bristol completed the trip although there were one or two who suffered along the way.

“It was pretty tough and there was a strong headwind which made things quite difficult at times. We are all delighted at how it went and with the amount of money raised for the charity.”

Bronze Fleet Elite awardee Robert Husar shows his badge.

high standards

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SUMMER 2015

ORE than 60 drivers across the First West of England region have been recognised for their driving skills and attention to detail in the latest round of DriveGreen Fleet Elite awards.

Based on hundreds of hours of driving during 2014, Gold Awards have been presented to 15 drivers, Silver to 20 and Bronze to 26.

Hengrove drivers did particularly well with four achieving Gold status. They were Rupert Collins who covered 1,296 with an average score of four; Stephen Southway, 1,055 miles, average score one; Michal Kopciuch, 1,698 miles, average score two; and Marek Berest, who clocked up an amazing 2,263 driving hours in 2014 with an average score of four.

Three Lawrence Hill drivers were also among the Gold award winners – Krystian Bulski, 1,322 miles, average score four; David Jones, 978 miles, average score four; and John Mathias, 697 miles, average score zero.

Weston’s Claire Bayliss also achieved Gold with 1,355 hours and an average score of three, as did three Bath and Wells drivers – Philip Jones, 1,224 miles, average score two; Mike Whitaker, 666 miles, average score five; and Abby Bellwood, 1,556 miles, average score one.

First West of England Managing

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Hengrove Gold Fleet Elite awardee Marek Berest who clocked up 2,263 driving hours in 2014 with an average score of four.

New PR Manager HENGROVE Driver Chris Hanson, pictured, has been recruited as PR Manager for the First West of England on a temporary basis.

He is providing cover for Karen Duffett – who is now on maternity leave until April 2016. Chris has a background in journalism and TV studies and will work to promote the OpCo to local newspapers and other media.

Lawrence Hill Gold Fleet Elite stars Krystian Bulski, left, and John Mathias point to the DriveGreen LED display.

Top status recognises

Strong weekly sales through mTicketing PASSENGERS across the First West of England region have given the thumbs up to mTicketing with strong sales averaging £29,000 a week so far this year. More than 5,000 unique users have purchased tickets using the mTicketing system so far in 2015, with total sales adding up to more than £400,000. The best selling tickets are the Bristol Inner Zone Week and Month Tickets which have grossed £53,000 and £49,000 this year respectively.

A wide range of tickets are available via mTicketing including day tickets (bought in blocks of five), and Week, Month and Singles (bought in blocks of 10). mTicketing has also recently been extended to the Bath Park and Ride service in the form of Single Tickets (bought in blocks of 10).

Clive Rugg has Bronze Fleet Elite status tied up.

Weston’s Claire Bayliss proudly displays her Gold Fleet Elite badge.

Familiar face on an old magazine cover JOURNALISTS working on Linked magazine were sorting through some old publications when they came across a familiar face in a magazine.

Smiling out from the front cover of Wheels of Time, a nostalgic look at old buses and trams published in the early 1990s by PMT – First Group’s predecessors in the Potteries – was a very young-looking Tracy Jackson, then a Driver and now a Staff Manager with First Bath.

In the sepia image, Tracy, who left Stoke-on-Trent in 2004 to work for First in Bristol and later at Bath, is wearing an old fashioned bus conductress uniform complete with cap and a hand-cranked ticket machine.

Tracy said: “I remember that picture being taken. I would have been in my early 30s at that time and I wore the old uniform because my nan had been a PMT clippy. My grandad was a bus mechanic and my father and one of my uncles were both drivers.

“I will be 50 later this year and I just wish I had as few wrinkles on my face now as I did then,” she joked.

Hengrove Gold Fleet Elite Driver Rupert Collins checks the depot’s weekly DriveGreen scores.

Director James Freeman said he was delighted by the dedication and professionalism of all the region’s Fleet Elite status drivers.

He added: “Congratulations to all of our winners and a big thank you for maintaining a consistently good driving standard.”

First West of England Driving Standards Manager David Moore said: “All our drivers are real professionals who take a great deal of pride in delivering a safe and efficient

service to customers.The Fleet Elite awards are a good way of recognising the skill and sheer hard work that they put into their jobs.”

To qualify for Fleet Elite status, drivers must maintain a DriveGreen score of five or below in the year and have recorded more than 500 driving hours.

Drivers achieve Bronze status after one year, Silver after two and Gold after three or more years of meeting the qualification standard.

Tracy pictured posing in a “clippy” uniform dating from the late 1950s for the cover photo.

SUMMER 2015

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New drive reinforces key safety value Checking passengers are safe before pulling away.

FIRST UK Bus people are being encouraged to take personal responsibility to make sure they, their colleagues and customers remain safe.

It comes amid an increase in collisions and passenger injuries in most OpCos. There were fewer severe injuries but more minor injuries to passengers boarding and alighting.

There is also concern that slips and trips during in 2013/14 led to an increase in staff lost time injuries.

First UK Bus Managing Director Giles Fearnley said: “We need to address these

issues and we are working to encourage colleagues to take personal responsibility for safety.”

A new system is being developed to help identify drivers’ training and support needs in relation to safety.

It aims to provide a consistent approach to analysing driver data across the whole group, and identify the factors that are a risk to employee and customer safety.

This tool will enable colleagues to discuss safety matters more accurately during professional development planning.

Micro Hybrid Streetlite Buses which entered service last year.

First has ordered a further 183 of these environmentally-friendly vehicles, which now feature Euro 6 engines.

UR announcement of a £77.7million order for new vehicles is fantastic news. It’s one of our biggest ever orders and reinforces improving performance, increasing passenger numbers and our continuing commitment to deliver our Better Journeys for Life promise.

Investing in our fleet is absolutely key if we are to continue improving our product and attracting new customers.

We should all be proud that we’ve invested almost £385million in vehicles over the last five years, replacing some 2,200 buses, almost a third of our fleet. The new vehicles will all come fitted with leather seats, CCTV and WiFi, providing customers with free internet access.

In addition to the dedicated space for wheelchair users, extra space will be provided for pushchairs and we are trialling the installation of USB charging points on some vehicles. I’m also delighted that more than 90 per cent of the new buses will be fitted with environmentally friendly Euro 6 engines, the biggest investment in Euro 6 buses in the UK to date. To set this in context, Euro 6 engines have eight times less emissions than their predecessors, the Euro 5. As well as travelling in new buses, customers will benefit from improvements in new technology. For example: ● We will soon reveal improvements to our website including real time bus tracking and journey planning, alongside a trial of the same features in the mTicketing app.

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Investing in future

success

● We’re also looking at new ways of paying for mTickets, including Paypal, and Apple Pay, as well as exploring new technologies to validate mTickets.

Of course, we can only continue to invest by being successful as a business. We need to set the highest

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By First UK Bus Managing Director

Giles Fearnley standards in our operational performance whilst offering our customers excellent value.

We are committed to continuing to build a more sustainable business. That means introducing cost efficiencies where possible and increasing revenues underpinned by continuing to grow our customer base.

We know that the most effective way to deliver the best bus services for customers is through operators and local authorities working together in partnership, and we have a great track record of doing just that.

We believe that there is much more that can be done through partnership and that calls by some Local Authorities for regulation of bus services is not necessary.

We have made great progress in strengthening our businesses across the Division but regrettably in some of our towns and cities, particularly where the local economies are suffering, we continue to face significant challenges.

The announcement of this investment, however, demonstrates again our strong commitment to our Better Journeys for Life promise.

VIPs to appear at ceremonies VIP speakers will appear at First UK Bus Excellence Awards ceremonies.

Olympic gold medalist athlete Sally Gunnell is guest of honour at the South England & Wales ceremony in Reading, while Scotland rugby hero Gavin Hastings will address the gathering in Scotland.

North England’s ceremony will be hosted

by Harry Gration, who presents the BBC’s evening news programme Look North.

Over 1,100 nominations have been received from colleagues for the awards launched this year to reward and recognise those staff who best display the company’s values and go the extra mile.

Look out for reports in the next issue of your employee magazine.

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time

Question Hengrove depot Business Manager LEE AHERN reveals that time constraints are a big challenge and why he believes openness and honesty are important virtues.

What is your current role and what does it involve?

I am responsible for the service delivery of Hengrove including our Bristol Airport contract. This is across the operational and engineering functions and has to be done while ensuring we comply with all necessary regulatory bodies, company policies and improving staff engagement.

We also have to remain profitable.

What is the main challenge of your job?

Time constraints – it would be nice to have a bit more time to get out and see more staff.

Phil Walker with his new Triumph Explorer XC tourer bike which he will ride on his expedition to the Arctic Circle.

Driver Phil ready for

Arctic chill

ELLS Driver Phil Walker is revving up to tackle a solo 6,000 mile motorbike expedition around Northern Europe and the Arctic Circle – raising money for charity along the way.

The journey, planned for next June, will see Phil spend 21 days travelling through the rugged terrain in Scandinavia, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Germany on his adrenaline-packed adventure.

Phil, a part time driver for First, finds time to head off on group motorcycle tours each year. He has already travelled through Norway in preparation for his 2016 trip, and will also be taking on Croatia this summer. However next summer’s planned trip will be his first solo expedition.

He said: “The journey will take approximately three weeks, and will involve camping in the wilderness along the way. In Denmark and Norway, countryside

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is no man’s land – you can pitch up and camp anywhere. Along the rest of the way, I’ll find hotels and ski resorts.”

Part of the trip will involve Phil biking through Nordkapp in Norway – the northernmost point in mainland Europe – and along Norway’s Atlantic coast road, one of Europe's longest sea-hugging highways. Having previously completed a charity motorcycle ride for the British Heart Foundation, Phil is in the process of selecting the charity to which he will donate the money he raises.

After purchasing a new Triumph Explorer XC tourer bike for the journey, the final preparation for Phil will be his successful application for a visa for his stint in Russia.

Phil said: “This will be my first ever solo trip, and the fact that I’ll be raising money for charity will definitely spur me on along the way.”

What did you want to be when growing up?

Up until I was around 10 I wanted to do anything my Dad was doing. That included being a bus driver, a milkman and a carpenter. After that I always wanted to be involved with something mechanical.

How do you relax?

With a good movie and a nice cup of tea.

What are your favourite books, films and music?

Books: Harlan Coben, Dean Koontz – detectives and

thrillers. Films: I’m easily pleased by Marvel movies, but I also like movies that test the brain. Music: I have very diverse tastes. I suppose I’m an 80s fan at heart, but I can be listening to AC/DC one day and Ellie Goulding the next.

Which people, dead or alive, would you invite to a dinner party and why?

Tom Hanks, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Ryan Stiles and Murray Walker.

If you had a time machine which era would you visit and why?

The 18th Century because I would like to meet all the people from that period who invented things.

What is your proudest achievement?

The birth of my 19-month-old twins.

Where do you like to go on holiday?

Hot places – Australia will always be a favourite.

What is the best bit of advice you’ve been given?

To always be open and honest. That bit of advice has served me well.

Lee Ahern is always trying to make the most of his time.

SUMMER 2015

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Couple’s joy as family

dream co mes true HEN Weston Driver Paul Jolly and his wife Jo were told they could not have children it was a bitter blow for the couple who had always dreamed of a baby of their own.

But once Paul, 39, and Jo, 36, had recovered from their initial disappointment they refused to be beaten and began exploring the idea of adoption.

Now, after a lot of form-filling, gruelling interviews and a few hiccups, the couple have finally welcomed a little girl into their home and are in the process of legally adopting her.

Paul, a driver with First for the past 13 years, said: “It was hard when we were told we couldn’t have children. But there are other

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Paul Jolly is now stocking up with children’s books for bedtime reading with his daughter.

options and almost immediately after we got the news from the doctors we decided to go down the adoption route.”

The couple had to undergo interviews and background checks before being approved as being suitable to adopt. Paul added: “In early March this year we went to meet her and her foster parents for the first time.”

The meeting went well and was followed by others over the next few weeks until finally,

the three-year-old girl – who cannot be identified until the legal adoption process is completed – moved to live with Paul and Jo. Paul said: “It is just wonderful to have her and we are really happy. She is settling in well and is already calling us mummy and daddy.

“Having a three-year-old suddenly become part of your family is certainly hard work and a steep learning curve, but it’s also great fun and we are really enjoying the experience.”

Fundraising for hospice

Awareness sessions to be rolled out SPECIALIST representatives from Prostate Cancer UK are set to stage awareness sessions at depots, canteens and offices across First West of England now the organisation is the group’s UK Charity of Choice.

They will be handing out information on symptoms, how to get a check up and how the condition is treated. The group is also producing a million credit-card sized Know Your Prostate booklets for staff to share with family and friends.

It comes as First fundraisers gear up to help raise £1 million for men affected by prostate cancer over the next three years. The charity has created a fundraising toolkit with great ideas like bake sales, barbecues, runs and even sky diving.

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Purchasing Apprentice Kirsty Morgan points to First’s latest Charity of Choice.

The latest charity link-up started in April and follows previous successful partnerships with Save the Children and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Katie Smart, FirstGroup CSR

and Community Manager, said: “With your help, we donated more than £1.1 million in cash and kind to Macmillan so let’s do the same with Prostate Cancer UK.”

STAFF from First Weston have been polishing up their soccer skills in preparation for a charity match in aid of the Children’s Hospice South West unit at Charlton Farm, Wraxall.

The First Weston team with be up against a team from the hospice when the match goes ahead at Banwell FC’s ground in North Somerset at 2pm on 7 June. The game is being played in memory of Harry Davies, a little boy who lost his life to leukaemia four years ago when he was aged just seven.

Driver Claire Bayliss, who used to live next door to Harry’s family, said: “Harry was a lovely little boy and everybody misses him.

“We’re trying to raise as much money as we can for the children's hospice.”