Eastleigh mother and daughter, Oksana Chernova and Lena, have secured first place in a nationwide video competition organised by the Go-Ahead Group. The competition aimed to highlight the advantages of the government’s £2 bus fare cap through the eyes of passengers.
Originally from Ukraine, the Chernova family moved to Eastleigh in 2022 and have since been dedicated users of Bluestar, a Southampton-based operator owned by Go-Ahead. The competition challenged passengers to create an insightful video demonstrating the benefits of the fare cap. Judges reveal the winning submission from Oksana and Lena won because it utilised the fare and the bus service, and captured the essence of a day out in Southampton.
Upon receiving their award, a brand new iPhone 14, the Chernovas met up with Bluestar’s Managing Director, Andrew Wickham, in Southampton. Lena, a Media Digital Creative Technology student at Barton Peveril College, plans to use the new device to assist in her studies.
“We received entries from all over the nation. To know that the winning creation came from our passengers is indeed heartening,” Andrew says. “Oksana and Lena’s video was a standout, owing to its professional execution and comprehensive coverage of our app, the bus journey, and the destinations. It also beautifully narrated their day out in Southampton and cleverly showcased our onboard USB chargers.”
Andrew highlights the personal challenges the Chernova family faced, which was unknown to the judges during the competition. “This achievement is particularly remarkable considering the personal circumstances Oksana and Lena had to overcome. The Go-Ahead Group extends its heartfelt congratulations to them and wishes them the very best for the future.”
Oksana reflects on their journey from Kyiv to Eastleigh and the process of creating the video: “We spent significant time crafting a storyboard and planning our video before embarking on a day out in Southampton utilising the £2 fare cap. I am overjoyed that the prize was an iPhone, which Lena will find extremely useful in her studies. We are immensely grateful for the support we’ve received from the Eastleigh and Southampton communities, who’ve made us feel at home.”
