South Yorkshire bus company Stagecoach unveils British Armed Forces inspired livery
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The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
Over the summer, Stagecoach received a Bronze Employer Recognition Award from the covenant meaning that it is recognised as an employer who supports those defence personnel and veterans, and its future goal is to achieve Gold employer status.
The special liveried bus is the first vehicle within Stagecoach to be solely branded in support of the Armed Forces Covenant and will operate in the North West region of England.
It will also be used for various events throughout the year, including Remembrance and Armed Forces Day, where those in the military or who have served previously can get free travel on all of Stagecoach’s services throughout the UK.
The branded Armed Forces Covenant bus, as well as Stagecoach’s pledge to give free travel to military and ex-military personnel on key dates, comes from its recently established Veteran employee network.
The network has been involved in numerous improvements and changes throughout the company such as revising its reservists policy to better support employees, attending Career Transition Partnership events and attracting service leavers direct from resettlement programmes.
Simon Tramalloni, operations manager and co-lead of Stagecoach Veterans Network, said: “It gives me great pleasure and immense pride in how the company recognise those that have served our country with our Veterans group. As a network we have achieved so much in the last 12 months. The network allows likeminded individuals to share their stories and also talk in a safe place about any concerns or issues they may have.
“This newly branded bus is another clear message to people that we fully support our Armed Forces and have a place in our network for those thinking about joining Stagecoach or are already working with us.
“This achievement is a credit to the determination and drive of our network and its members and we will continue with our commitment to all Defence Personnel and our Veterans with the aim of achieving Gold employer status in the next few years and continue with our support for the Armed Forces and our colleague Veterans.”
Sam Berkson, national account manager for defence relationship management, added: “I’d like to thank Stagecoach for this public and very visible commitment to the Armed Forces community. It is clear that Stagecoach recognises the benefits of being a Forces-friendly employer and I look forward to their continued support for Defence and advocacy for its people.”