Mental health charity One-Eighty has officially met with the newly wrapped electric double-decker bus that will carry its branding across Oxfordshire next year after it was named winner of Oxford Bus Company (OBC) and Thames Travel’s 2025 Brand the Bus competition.
The organisation, which supports young people at risk of falling out of education due to mental health, neurodiversity or SEND challenges, won following a record number of entries and more than 12,000 public votes cast.
As the winner, One-Eighty will receive an advertising package worth £100,000. That includes a full bus wrap for one year, on-board advertising across the two bus companies’ fleets, a campaign on country radio station Get Radio, and designation as Oxford City Football Club’s charity partner for the 2025/2026 season.
“It is so vital for us to highlight the immense needs young people in our county are facing and share that we exist as a passionate and professional organisation as part of the solution,” says Susie Besant, founder and CEO at One-Eighty. “We want to take this opportunity to thank every single person who voted for One-Eighty and who has continued to follow our journey as we strive to seek more support to deliver services which turn young lives around. We are looking forward to our huge orange bus being on Oxfordshire’s roads.”
Luke Marion, Managing Director at Oxford Bus Company, adds: “We received a record number of entries, therefore selecting a winner was more challenging than ever before.
“One-Eighty presented a powerful submission, and the charity’s work to support children and address mental health challenges is something which struck a chord with our team. We look forward helping the charity raise its profile and awareness of the help if provides to those who need it.”
Founded in 2011, One-Eighty operates across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, delivering one-to-one interventions, preventative mental health projects and specialist training for young people. Referrals to the charity have tripled since 2019 and it now provides more than 2,000 one-to-one sessions annually, reporting a 97% success rate in achieving positive outcomes.
