First Bus operations in the North of England and the Midlands supported various good causes with donations in December 2023, with foodbanks and at least one other charity benefitting.
Doncaster, Leeds, Leicester, North Staffordshire and Sheffield each saw contributions from respective First Bus operating companies, via a donation of money in Leeds and through meals in the other locations.
In Leeds, £500 was given to St George’s Crypt for the purchase of essential items from market traders in the city for distribution over the festive period. Those went towards providing the 240 Christmas meals and presents that the charity expected to give out.
Meanwhile, in Doncaster, the operator donated Christmas meals to two foodbanks, and in Sheffield, three other such organisations benefitted from a further donation by First South Yorkshire. In both cases, the food was supplied by Asda, which gifted mince pies towards the package.
In the East Midlands, First Leicester donated 125 meals to New Parks Foodbank. In a typical week, that organisation issues around 120 food parcels and it says that the gift was expected to make “a huge difference to families in the community.” The food in Leicester was sourced from Sainsbury’s, which also donated 125 boxes of mince pies.
Sister First Manchester, Midlands and South Yorkshire business First Potteries (pictured) again worked with Burslem-based The Hubb Foundation by donating meals to that charity for a second year. One of the operator’s Wrightbus StreetDeck double-deckers was used to convey the food.
Rob Hughes, Operations Director of First Bus businesses in those areas, notes that for many people 2023 was “a challenging year” because of the cost-of-living crisis, adding that foodbanks “provide a fantastic service in our communities all year round. We wanted to do our bit to support them by providing a Christmas meal for people who are in need.”
In Leeds, First West Yorkshire additionally made a financial contribution to the operating costs of a roller-skating rink in Leeds Kirkgate Market over the Christmas period. It was free to use as a result.
