First Bus flies in to support Project Wingman service to NHS workers

A bus has been recycled by operator First Bus in Halifax and will instead now be used to support the mental health and wellbeing of NHS workers across Yorkshire.

The bus company has donated the 2006 Volvo double-decker to Project Wingman, a charity operating mobile lounges that tour NHS sites to provide an informal space for rest and relaxation.

Project Wingman’s service is staffed by volunteer aircrew from commercial airlines and other employees across the aviation sector.

The donated bus from First Halifax will become the third mobile lounge in the charity’s fleet and it is hoped will enable Project Wingman to begin visiting hospital sites in Calderdale and other parts of Yorkshire for the first time.

Christopher Carr, Transport Manager for the charity and In-Flight Lead at British Airways flew up from Heathrow with three cabin crew to visit the Elmwood Garage depot on Huddersfield Road and take delivery of the bus.

He said: “We are very excited to accept this fantastic donation on behalf of Project Wingman and look forward to being able to expand our wellbeing programme into Yorkshire in the coming months.”

The double-decker is set to be transformed into a versatile space to deliver the “tea & empathy” wellbeing service with sofas and chairs, plenty of room to move about with a raised upper deck roof; a fully fitted kitchen and an outside seating area with plants to create a garden feature beneath an extendable awning.

The conversion is expected to be completed by the summer and will be finished off with a full respray in the Project Wingman distinctive blue livery.

Darren Burton, Staff Manager of First Halifax, said: “This bus has served the people of Calderdale for 16 years. To think it will now continue to provide a very different but equally valuable service to frontline workers in the NHS is fantastic.

“It has needed a lot of work and co-ordination with our fleet management team and engineers to get the bus ready and we’re proud and delighted to be able to hand it over to Project Wingman. We can’t wait to see the final result in a few months!”

Picture captions:

PW1 & 2:

Emily Thornton (centre), Operations Manager for Project Wingman, flanked by (from far left) Catherine Radcliffe – BA cabin crew, Christopher Carr, Darren Burton, Linda Cannan and Serena Gibbins, BA cabin crew.

PW3:

Emily Thornton (centre), Operations Manager for Project Wingman, flanked by (from far left) Andy Metcalfe, Fleet Manager – UK Bus, Serena Gibbins and Catherine Radcliffe, both BA cabin crew, Darren Burton, Linda Cannan, BA cabin crew and Christopher Carr.

PW4

(from front left) Christopher Carr. Linda Cannan and Serena Gibbins, BA cabin crew, Emily Thornton (centre), Operations Manager for Project Wingman, Catherine Radcliffe, BA cabin crew, Darren Burton and Andy Metcalfe, Fleet Manager – UK Bus.

PW5

Emily Thornton (centre), Operations Manager for Project Wingman, flanked by (from far left) Andy Metcalfe, Fleet Manager – UK Bus, Linda Cannan, BA cabin crew, Christopher Carr Serena Gibbins and Catherine Radcliffe, both BA cabin crew, Darren Burton.

PW6

Emily Thornton (centre), Operations Manager for Project Wingman, flanked by (from far left) Andy Metcalfe, Fleet Manager – UK Bus, Linda Cannan, BA cabin crew, Christopher Carr Serena Gibbins and Catherine Radcliffe, both BA cabin crew, Darren Burton.

Exterior and interior images of how the bus will look when the conversion is complete.

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