Oxford Bus Company and its sister company Carousel Buses have unveiled the finalists of their respective Brand the Bus competitions after a combined total of more than 17,000 votes were cast by the public to support local charities and not-for-profit organisations.
The Oxfordshire competition is now in its fifth year and run in partnership with Thames Travel. This year saw a record-breaking 12,266 online votes for 65 entries. The Buckinghamshire edition, Carousel Buses’ inaugural run of the campaign, saw 5,587 votes across 42 entries.
Each competition offers the winning organisation the opportunity to have its branding wrapped across a full double-decker bus, supported by additional marketing packages across radio, football partnerships, and onboard advertising, with a total prize value of £160,000 across both campaigns.
“We’re overwhelmed by the volume of votes this year,” says Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel. “It reaffirms there are so many excellent good causes in our community delivering a range of vital services. We’re looking forward to selecting the overall winners and supporting more charities in partnership with our media and football club partners.”
The Oxfordshire finalists are: Support for Sick Newborns and their parents, Sobell House Hospice Charity, The Orders of St John Trust, Helen and Douglas House, One-Eighty, Thames Valley Air Ambulance, Freddie’s Future, Maggie’s Oxford, Freegle and St John Ambulance.
Carousel’s Buckinghamshire finalists are: South Bucks Hospice, The Pace Centre, Chiltern Music Academy, Girlguiding Buckinghamshire, Thames Valley Air Ambulance, Wycombe Homeless Connection, Scouts Buckinghamshire, Thames Valley Adventure Playground, One Can Trust and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
The judging panel for both regions will now assess the finalists, with winners due to be announced in June. The newly branded buses are expected to begin service in the autumn. In Oxfordshire, the winning charity will also become the official charity partner of Oxford City Football Club for the 2025-26 seson. Runners-up in both regions will receive onboard advertising packages worth between £1,000 and £2,000.
Hamish Law, Commercial Director at Get Radio, which supports the Oxfordshire competition, says: “We’re delighted to see such a strong level of interest in Brand the Bus from charities across Oxfordshire. A huge congratulations to the 10 shortlisted charities; we’re looking forward to discussing all of these excellent entries in the judging phase.”
Adds Matt Cecil, Head of Media at Wycombe Wanderers, Carousel’s football partner: “Each and every charity that’s entered the competition makes a really valuable contribution to our local community and is deserving of winning.”
