Stagecoach in South Wales has honoured three local heroes on its new fleet of Gold buses in Cwmbran.
The public had been asked to nominate an unsung hero in the community. After hundreds of nominations, Stagecoach selected St Cadocs and Penygarn Councillor Sue Malson as the main winner.
Sue was presented with a cheque for £1,000 towards her charity Trac2, which aims to tackle poverty in Trevethin, and the honour of having a gold bus named after her – as well as a one-month bus pass.
Three other local heroes were selected to each receive £100 for their organisation and have one of the gold town buses named after them. They are Sian Legge from the Greenmeadow Community Group/St Dials Hall, Rachel Hamilton from the Congress Youth Theatre in Cwmbran, and Gerald Sims from Cwmbran Otters swimming group.
Mark Tunstall, Operations Manager for Stagecoach Cwmbran depot, presented the winners with their named gold plaques, which will be displayed at the back of the gold buses and the cheques on Gwent Square at Cwmbran Centre.
Sue says: “It was a shock to find out! I'm overwhelmed that so many people had nominated me. The money will be put to good use. We are there for everybody in Torfaen to help combat poverty throughout the borough.”
Sian, who organises litter picks and fundraises in the community, says: “I was surprised to receive the nomination. There are so many people out there that do such good work in the community, and I almost feel like I have done nothing special. It is nice to have Stagecoach donating money towards the community. We are currently renovating the park and we offer a range of free and low cost children's activities. We are also doing a 'grow your own veg' allotment with Fairhill Church."
Rachel, who is part of the Congress Youth Theatre, which has offered youngsters a safe space to develop their confidence and performance skills, says: "It was a total surprise – I had to read the email twice! It is humbling to be recognised by Stagecoach but the real reward is in the job that we do. The money will support our next production, Godspell, which we will be performing in July."
Rosa Williams, Marketing Manager for Stagecoach in South Wales, says: “It’s a real honour to present them with these awards as a thank you for their fantastic work.”
