As part of the National Christmas jumper day on December 11, 2020, Stagecoach in South Wales asked staff to wear Christmas jumpers, festive suits and face coverings for a £1 donation with all proceeds being donated to ‘Mind Cymru’.
Staff showed their festive sprit after a difficult year and displayed their outfits to customers and other colleagues. The total amount raised was £150. ‘Mind Cymru’ is a charity in Wales who offers support and advice to anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Together with 20 local Minds in Wales they are committed to improving mental health in the country.
Porth depot staff have been collecting food for the local Rhondda food bank. Kevin Mathias, Electrician and Health and Well-being representative and Leading Driver Andrea Kavanagh appealed to staff to donate non-perishable foods including, tins, soup, pasta and a selection of drinks including squash, tea and coffee. Andrea said: “You probably can’t imagine going hungry or struggling to feed your families but believe it or not, there are families out there right now in this position. We’ve had a fantastic response so far, we want to say a huge thanks to all of the staff for their kind donations, please continue to dig deep”.
Michelle Owen, a Merthyr driver is part of ‘The Lighthouse Charity’ in Tonyrefail Community Centre. Michelle reached out to staff before the festive period and asked them to donate food, sanitary items and gifts to give to local families in need of help and support. Michelle donated dozens of parcels on Christmas Eve and continues to deliver food parcels to the elderly in the community.
Nicholas Young, a driver from Cwmbran depot has recently bought toys and gifts to donate to local children and families of Northville Cwmbran. Nick said: “There’s a group called ‘The Northville Hub’ that looks out for local families who may not have a lot or may be experiencing financial struggles. We donate food parcels and generally help out those less fortunate amongst our community”.
Mark Williams, a driver from Cwmbran depot has been taking part in #runthemonth during January, running 26 miles, the length of a marathon to raise money for prostate cancer. Mark appealed to staff to donate and has raised £327 surpassing his target of £250.
Nigel Winter, Managing Director, Stagecoach in South Wales said: “We’re extremely proud of all our staff that go above and beyond to fundraise for the communities that they proudly serve every day. They give up their own time to help those who need it the most and we are overwhelmed by their generosity and kindness. We’d like to thank each and every one of our employees who have donated which will help to make a difference to local people’s lives”.
