Stagecoach Manchester partnership boosts recruitment for Greater Manchester Children’s Charity

• A £5,000 donation from Stagecoach Manchester has supercharged recruitment for the Stockport-based charity, Transport for Sick Children
• The funding led to a 450% increase in successful driver applications compared to previous years, with nine new volunteers currently in the recruitment process
• New drivers will provide vital medical transport for families in high-demand areas, including Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, and North Manchester

Stagecoach Manchester is proud to announce its partnership with Transport for Sick Children, a Stockport-based charity dedicated to ensuring children across Greater Manchester can access vital medical appointments.

A £5,000 donation from Stagecoach in January this year has significantly accelerated the charity’s ability to recruit volunteer drivers, particularly in high-demand areas including Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, and North Manchester.

Transport for Sick Children supports families who face financial, social, or transport-related barriers to reaching essential healthcare services. The funding from Stagecoach allowed for a more robust, multi-channel campaign. As a result, nine new drivers are currently moving through the recruitment process, a nearly five-fold increase on previous years. 

Rob Jones, Managing Director of Stagecoach Manchester & Merseyside, said:
“As a transport provider, we understand how critical it is to have reliable connections, especially when it comes to healthcare. Transport for Sick Children does incredible work providing a lifeline for families who would otherwise struggle to get their children to medical appointments. We are delighted that our donation has had such an immediate impact on their recruitment efforts, helping to get more volunteer drivers on the road where they are needed most.”

Laura Chidgey, Charity Manager at Transport for Sick Children added:
“We are a well-established charity with an amazing team of volunteer drivers, but we simply didn’t have enough capacity to help all the families referred to us in parts of North Manchester and the surrounding boroughs. Stagecoach’s generosity allowed us to try new advertising methods that were previously out of reach. Having nine new drivers in our pipeline will positively impact dozens of families, and the data we’ve gathered from this campaign will save us unnecessary spending in the future. We want to say a big thank you to Stagecoach for their vital support.

“We are still looking for new drivers in areas of North Manchester so if you’re interested give us a call on 0161 4434122, or visit transportforsickchildren.org for more information.”