Go Ahead : News Across the Group March 2021

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NEWS ACROSS		4	Celebrating women
						March 2021	3	Keeping mum
THEGROUP	7	Paw-fect helpers
9	Roving vaccine
	centres

A message from

David Brown

Dear all,

It's been a busy and exciting month. The highlight in the UK was the launch of the National Bus Strategy by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

We have battled for many years to get the Government interested in buses. We now have a strategy for a vital yet neglected mode of transport with a serious intent to reverse the decline in passenger numbers. Go-Ahead has been vocal in calling for a National Bus Strategy and we're pleased that many of our suggestions were taken on board.

The Strategy will create opportunities to bring about faster, more frequent and greener buses. It will also bring some challenges around new ways of working with our local authority partners, but we will build on our collaborative approach and continually focus on providing the services that best meet the needs of our customers.

In other news, this month we announced the Group's half year results. We are continuing to demonstrate strong fundamentals, with 90% of our revenue being secured through contracts. The long-term success of our business involves growing our customer numbers, and we look forward to welcoming more passengers back as restrictions ease across the globe.

In the same week as our results, children returned to school

in England. Once again our companies pulled out the stops to ensure that sufficient drivers and vehicles were in place. Our customers' and colleagues' health, safety and wellbeing continue to be our top priority, and we will continue to take all the necessary measures to ensure that passengers - including pupils - can travel to school safely

This month also saw International Women's Day. You may have seen Natasha Smith, an apprentice assessor from Go-Ahead London on social media showing her 'day in the life'. Kirstie Bull, an operations Manager at Brighton

• Hove Buses, also discussed her experiences for the CPT blog.

Meanwhile, Southeastern received national media coverage around Mother's Day when it revealed mother and daughter Cynthia and Vicki McGarry are both training to be train drivers at the same time. A lovely story.

Until next month,

David Brown,

Group Chief Executive

Half Year results

We revealed our half year results on 11 March 2021, reporting
a resilient first half performance in challenging conditions.
David Brown and Elodie Brian presented the results via video
link and hosted a live Q&A with analysts. Initial feedback
indicates that confidence in a post-Covid recovery is growing,
especially as we forecast pent-up demand for leisure travel.	1

NEWS ACROSS THE GROUP

March 2021

Go-Ahead reacts to	ahead
	One step
National Bus Strategy
Buses are now in the spotlight

Celebrate with pride

Thinking back on LGBT+ history

This month the UK Government launched its first ever National Bus Strategy. There has been a strategy for walking, cycling, rail and aviation for years but this is the first time that buses have had a dedicated strategy.

Prior to the announcement we published a video on our expectations. In the video Chief Executive David Brown, Go North East Managing Director Martijn Gilbert,

Go South West Managing Director Richard Stevens and Go-Ahead Chief Strategy & Customer Officer Katy Taylor broke down why buses are important.

Click here to watch the full video

Following the announcement, David Brown said:

"It's the right time to have a national strategy for buses. Bus usage has been in decline for seven years and if Britain is serious about becoming a carbon neutral nation, we urgently need to halt that decline and persuade people to leave their cars at home.

In order to do that, buses need to be quick, reliable and convenient. That means giving more bus priority including precedence for buses at traffic

lights and tackling rush hour gridlock.

People with easy access to public transport have more chance of getting a job and are much less likely to be socially isolated and lonely. By working in partnership with local authorities, private companies can respond to demand effectively, delivering better services for all.

A full double-decker bus can take as many as 75 private cars off the road, so the benefits of buses in cutting pollution and reducing traffic jams are as clear as daylight. As a nation, we need to finally move on from the myth that bus use is only for those who can't afford a car."

David and Katy appeared on numerous programmes to discuss the strategy, including BBC Radio and Sky News.

Throughout February colleagues across Go-Ahead engaged

with LGBT+ history month.

Go North East hosted a live talk with the National AIDS Trust, while three colleagues participated in videos to talk about their own experiences. The company also hosted a LGBT+ History Month quiz with live bingo, featuring local drag queen Mutha Tucka.

Meanwhile, Southeastern hosted a range of colleague events to reflect on the long journey taken by the railway's LGBT+ community. This included a first-of-its- kind webinar that was hosted by LGBT+ History Month co-founder Sue Sanders, as well as a stereotype-busting poster series starring one of Southeastern's proud LGBT+ colleagues, Dave Drewry.

Keeping mum

An extra meaning to 'railway family'

Cynthia and Vicki McCarry have made Southeastern history by being the first mum and daughter to train to be drivers at the same time.

Cynthia has worked at Southeastern in various roles since 2003, while Vicky joined in 2012 as a Passenger Host and On-Board Manager. They started their train driver training in August and September 2020.

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Cynthia said: "I'm really enjoying training to be a driver and to do it alongside Vicki makes it even more special. I'm immensely proud of her and humbled to see her following in my footsteps to take on a lifelong career in rail. We're a very close knit family with my other daughter's husband also working for Southeastern at Ebbsfleet and Stratford, so doing this training together just gives us more to talk about around the dinner table!"

Down-to-earth3

Celebrating the community

Down-to-earth

NEWS ACROSS THE GROUP

March 2021

Celebrating

women

A flabbergasting find

How GTR reunited a grandfather with his childhood teddy bear

	Macho
This month saw International	men
Women's Day, with all our companies	A white paper report
getting involved and sharing stories.	has revealed that
	two-thirds of women
Sanitary support	felt that the transport industry has a
macho culture, and 70% of women believe
the industry has an image problem. It is
integral for us to be an inclusive, modern and
Ten Southeastern locations	forward-thinking business. At Go-Ahead we
are offering free sanitary	must focus on addressing these changes and
products for colleagues.	continue to listen to women's experiences at
This is part of a 'Take One	every level.
if You Need One' trial. It

A small station in East Sussex turned out to be a treasure trove of historical artefacts. GTR contractors unearthed a strange hoard of abandoned objects at Bishopstone station, including 1950s electric equipment, 1970s car parts, a 1980s skateboard,

fishing parts and vintage wooden skis.

The find appeared on the local news, which came to the attention of Guy Wright - a grandfather from the nearby town of Newhaven. His father had sold newspapers and fruit and vegetables from a railway station shop in the 1970s.

After contacting the Friends of Bishopstone station (the community partnership group), he was reunited with

long-lost objects such as a tuck box, a teddy bear and the

skateboard.

Barbara, the chair of

the community partnership group said: "When Guy walked in and saw what we had it was like he was going back into

his childhood. And then he spotted the bear. It was quite emotional - for both of us."

is offering eco-friendly
pads and tampons in	A day in the life
colleague bathrooms,
as well as bespoke
toolkits that provide

A storied bus

female-focused advice	Natasha Smith, Apprentice Assessor at
Go-Ahead London, gave an insight into her
for team members.
role for International Women's Day. In the
	two-minute video she shows what it's like to
	be an assessor and why she wears a uniform,
	even when she's working from home.
CLICK HERE	CLICK HERE
to read	to watch
the blog	the video

Changing the game

Kirstie Bull, an Operations Manager at Brighton

• Hove Buses, wrote a blog entry for the CPT (Confederation of Passenger Transport) for International Women's Day. She discussed how we need to see more women driving buses, and the difficulties she has faced through the years
  - such as 'canteen talk' and how shift work can deter female applicants.

Stories of hope, kindness and humanity have been brought to life on the sides of 24 new Brighton & Hove buses. The company went on a mission to find and celebrate people in the community. 15 people were chosen from the many nominations put forward.

Some of the people chosen were involved with supporting disabled families, others with keeping the city's tap water clean. Some run football sessions for disabled children while others connect isolated people or battle homelessness.

Brighton & Hove and Metrobus Managing Director Martin Harris said: "I've heard so many incredible stories of altruism and compassion

in this city over the years and felt it was time to recognise and celebrate the people behind those stories.

Even in the darkest of times, there are people who buoy up those around them with their life-changing work. It is a real privilege to share these touching stories more widely with everyone in Brighton and Hove and I applaud their efforts."

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Collaborative

5

NEWS ACROSS THE GROUP

March 2021

Lest we forget

Remembering those who worked for us

Plymouth Citybus has restored and remounted a commemorative 'Death in Service' plaque that remembers our employees who died during the Second World War.

Bob Warwick-Pengelly at Plymouth Citybus used his expertise to restore the plaque to its former glory and it now proudly sits outside the entrance to Go South West's training facility at its Head Office in Milehouse, a suburb of Plymouth.

2021 marks 80 years since the
Plymouth Blitz. This caused
extensive destruction and
devastation, including the
bombing of the Milehouse depot.	Agile

1. surprise present

A long service

Celebrating nearly 50 colleagues

Go-Ahead Singapore colleagues were rewarded for their dedication and commitment at the company's Long Service Award ceremony. 49 colleagues have completed between 10 to 40 years continuous service in public transport.

The company is proud to have such
loyal and committed people and
their contributions are nothing
less than a mark of passion,	Agile
perseverance and dedication.

Paw-fecthelpers

Providing puppy training on buses

Go South Coast brand Bluestar has teamed up with Guide

Dogs to provide vital bus travel experience forAgile puppies in training.

The Southampton operator previously offered free travel across the city for staff, volunteers and their canine trainees,

to give pups a chance to get used to hopping on-and-off buses. Now, restrictions during the pandemic have prevented this crucial aspect of their education.

Nikki Honer, Go South Coast's Head of Communications said:

"We were contacted by the charity, Guide Dogs, who were concerned that they couldn't progress travel training for puppies in Southampton during the Covid-19 pandemic

• so we came up with an idea to help."

"They rely heavily on these special dogs to help them go about their daily lives, and we are delighted to be able to help. We wish all of the puppies much success as they continue their training."

A kind gift for London colleagues

At the beginning of March, Go-Ahead London's Stockwell Garage received a parcel sent from residents and children who live in Tooting, South London. The parcel contained several cards and treats, some of which were handmade, thanking and commending the G1 drivers who serve the area.

The G1 is a long, technically difficult route. It runs through residential areas, serving schools and hospital, while catering to vulnerable passengers. Colleagues at Stockwell really enjoyed the surprise treat, issuing a social media thank you to the residents.

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Down-to-earth

Away we go

Another launch for our newest electric garage

Go-Ahead London successfully launched its 456 route from Northumberland this month. Northumberland Park is our newest electric bus garage,

back energy back to the National Grid. The new route runs on residential previously served by buses.

The launch was successful, despite a blip where the buses initially didn't show on the internal app. Operations Director David Cutts and Area General Manager Trevor Johnson both congratulated the team for a job well done and a smooth transition.

One step

ahead

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SHOP

HERE

NEWS ACROSS THE GROUP

March 2021

Honey, honey

A busy bee travels a long way

Helping the community

Go South West supports the elderly

Collaborative

Did you know that Oxford Bus Company makes its own in-house honey? Beehives were originally set up in 2017 as part of the company's commitment to biodiversity.

Colleagues across the Group have been sharing their purchases over Twitter.

Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of Go North East, posted a Tweet of him enjoying his honey on his morning toast. Meanwhile, Craig Virco's honey had travelled all the way to Ireland. The Forward Allocator at Dublin Commuter posted a picture outside a bus, asking if this

was the furthest the honey had travelled.

Has anyone from Germany, Norway or Singapore ordered a pot? Let us know at [e-mail]

Plymouth CityBus is supporting the community by donating 500 day vouchers to Age UK volunteers. It has already donated 1,000 vouchers since the start of 2020.

The impact of Covid-19 means that many older people feel isolated or lonely. Age UK supports these people through socially-distanced visits and phone calls.

Lynne Hodgson, Interim Deputy Chief Executive at Age UK said, "Age UK Plymouth are extremely grateful to

Plymouth Citybus for their generosity in providing free dayrider travel vouchers for the Charity's volunteers. Many people have been kindly offering their time to help older people in our communities who are struggling with loneliness and feelings of isolation.

As a charity, we rely heavily on volunteers to help us deliver vital services to thousands of older people across the city and this wonderful contribution from Citybus will make a real difference."

Truly	Agile	Roving vaccine centres
Customer service comes out on top		Surrey's first Covid vaccination
proudly won the STAR award at the company's		bus has opened its doors
Go-Ahead Singapore colleague Tay Yu Ying has
Excellent Service Award ceremony. Yu Ying has		Metrobus now has two vaccination buses in operation.
been a Customer Service Officer for three
	The first bus was launched in February in Crawley and
years, working at the Pasir Ris interchange
	was the UK's first mobile vaccination unit.
passenger office. One of her daily duties
	Brighton & Hove and Metrobus Managing Director
involves helping people find lost property.
	Martin Harris said the bus company had received several
She says: "I feel that helping people is a part of
	enquiries from hospitals, GPs, and bus companies
my life. I have personally experienced difficult
	about setting up similar projects in other parts of the
times when I needed help. After being on the
	country since the arrival of the first vaccination bus in
receiving end, it is a really nice feeling to know
	February.
that I can pay it forward!"
	Martin said: "That is what makes this joint project
Bus travel rocks		so exciting, because it can go on to benefit other
	councils to roll out the second vaccination bus, which
		communities in the UK. We are proud to have worked in
Shining stones for drivers		partnership with the Alliance for Better Care and local
	Coronavirus vaccination programme."
		forms part of the great work already done by the NHS
Go East Anglia's recent 'Bus Travel Rocks'		Metrobus Night Controller Duncan Rolls also got
campaign has unveiled a few local		his vaccine on the bus last month: "The bus was laid
artists. The campaign asks residents to		out really well. You get on via the front doors, get the
leave colourful rocks at their bus stop		vaccination in the wheelchair area and go down the ramp
to thank our key workers.		by the exit doors. It was quick, easy and, most of all, it was
Collaborative		safe for people who are shielding or have health issues."

One step ahead

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