Member Article

Stagecoach gives passengers a little lift for wellbeing week

Bus operator Stagecoach Merseyside, Cheshire and South Lancashire has spent the day spreading messages of positivity across its network as the company celebrates World Wellbeing Week (24-28 June).

Passengers on Stagecoach’s X5 service between Liverpool and Widnes were surprised with cards filled with happy and inspirational messages left by the Stagecoach team as they boarded the bus for their morning commute.

Over 50 handwritten notes by Stagecoach team members were produced, each with a unique saying to improve wellbeing among passengers in the day ahead.

Drivers, admin staff and management were asked to write a message that has inspired them in their lifetime and to pass that on to another. It is hoped that the activity could help spread messages of positivity. The NHS has highlighted giving and connecting to others as two of the best ways to boost wellbeing.

Fresh flowers, cushions and free magazines were also placed inside the bus to help passengers relax and enjoy the morning commute.

As part of Stagecoach’s commitment to wellbeing, the company has put a number of new measures in place to boost people’s experience in the workplace. These include offering enhanced notice of shift changes to avoid disrupting people’s personal and family life; improving leisure facilities at bus depots; providing opportunities to take part in charity activities to connect and give back to the local community; and offering specialist training for mental health ‘first-aiders’ within its team who are trained to recognise mental health problems at an early stage and provide advice and support.

Rob Jones, managing director at Stagecoach Merseyside, Cheshire and South Lancashire, said: “Regular commuters can spend a big portion of their day on the bus. This time can provide a really valuable opportunity to be in the moment and have some ‘me-time’ whether by enjoying a good read, listening to a podcast or a great album, or connecting and having a nice chat with fellow passengers. This Wellbeing Week, we wanted to make this little gesture to encourage people to make the most of their commute and enjoy the journey.

“Our people are the beating heart of our business, so we’re committed to taking steps to boost their wellbeing and ensure Stagecoach MCSL is a great place to work. Having members of the team on site and on hand who are trained to recognise the early signs when someone is struggling and raise the alarm, is really important and we’re keen to grow our team of mental health ‘first-aiders’ to improve their wellbeing.

“Wellbeing Week provides a great opportunity to reflect, be kind to ourselves and each other, and take steps to make positive change, so we hope our passengers and our team have a wonderful week!”

Stagecoach Bus is one of the UK’s major employers, supporting around 24,000 jobs across the UK and 1,249 jobs in Merseyside and South Lancashire. The company is part of Liverpool City Region’s Bus Alliance, a partnership between Liverpool’s biggest bus operators and Merseytravel. The Alliance is focused on quality of vehicles and customer service, value for money journeys and straightforward travel from simple fare structures to easy to understand journey planning and a clear, simple bus network.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Henry Roberts .