Stagecoach has confirmed its commitment to the armed forces by offering free travel for veterans and military personnel on its bus and tram services from across the UK on Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday.
The network was launched to allow Stagecoach colleagues to come together to make change, raise awareness, help influence business decisions and introduce new ways of working to make the company even stronger. The Veteran Network is engaging with the armed forces on a recruitment campaign directly targeting those who are leaving the military to find job opportunities at Stagecoach.
James Wild, Salford University graduate and ex driver for Stagecoach said: The free travel comes down to a number of reasons mainly PR as it’s good advertising to reflect any negative feedback against the company.
“Secondly, it’s always been a known fact that many ex-servicemen often come into the transport industry after their military careers have ended and finally, Remembrance Day often tends to fall on a public bank holiday which reduces cost and potential loss of income, which can also be subsidized by the government.
Many depots often had units which were created back in WW1 which is also greatly promoted as a collective sense of unity, tying into the feeling of being a service for the people and society ran by those trained who know on a personal and strategical level identifying where specific needs and demands for services are and ought to be placed.”
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Stagecoach has been a long-time supporter of the Poppy Appeal, and in addition to free travel on 11th and 14th November, Stagecoach will be operating a number of Poppy Buses across its network, including Merseyside & South Lancashire, Cumbria & North Lancashire, Portsmouth, and Aldershot. Poppies will also be displayed on the front of a number of buses across the country with some of the destination blinds showing the messaging “We will remember them”.
Stagecoach has also been a member of the Armed Force Covenant since March 2015, recognising the value of serving personnel, regular and reservists, veterans, and military families to both the country and businesses across the country.
This commitment from Stagecoach allows for the business to unite and offer the same great experience to all military and ex-military customers and it will continue each year on 11th November and the following Sunday as well as Armed Forces Weekend.
Simon Tramalloni, Operations Manager in Preston & Chorley is co-lead for the Stagecoach Veterans Network who previously served in the Armed Forces in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Africa and the Middle East said: “Stagecoach has a strong commitment to supporting the armed forces and our veterans, and it’s great that we are able to offer free bus and tram travel across the whole country as we mark Remembrance Day.
“We have thousands of ex forces personnel working across our business and having the new Veterans Network is allowing us to build on the work that Stagecoach has led over many years and identify how else we can support those veterans already working for us and those that may want to come and join the company.
“Remembrance Day and the Poppy Appeal are causes close to the hearts of many of our employees and customers and we are very pleased to be making this commitment that will hopefully help people to attend memorials across the UK.”
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