Stagecoach South donate over £59k to the NHS Charities Together Covid-19 Appeal

STAGECOACH SOUTH DONATE OVER £59K TO THE NHS CHARITIES TOGETHER COVID-19 APPEAL

Stagecoach South are pleased to announce we have donated over £59,000 of excess change collected during lockdown to NHS Charities Together Covid-19 Appeal that supports NHS staff, volunteers and patients in ways above and beyond what NHS funding can ordinarily provide. 

In October 2020 the company announced that it had raised £31,967 under a temporary exact fare scheme. Now the scheme has finished, Stagecoach South have announced the final total of £59,406 has been raised between May 2020 and April 2021.

The bus company, which operates across Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex encouraged the of use exact fare during the peak of the pandemic to provide reassurance for drivers and customers. Where change couldn’t be given the money was collected ready to donate to the charity.

Edward Hodgson Managing Director for Stagecoach South said “We really appreciated customer’s co-operation when the temporary exact fare scheme was in place. 

“Most people are now paying online or with contactless but we do recognise that some of our customers still rely on cash to pay for their journeys.

“The scheme helped to keep cash handling to a minimum during the height of the pandemic and we would like to thank everyone in helping keep both customers and drivers safe. We’re pleased to be able to donate these funds to a very worthy cause.” 

NHS Charities Together is the umbrella organisation for the country’s NHS charities and is the official national charity partner of the NHS with more than 230 NHS Charity members. The Covid-19 Urgent Appeal supports NHS staff, volunteers and patients with immediate and urgent needs as well as supporting the long term recovery from the impact of the crisis. 

The charity has received over £150 million from donors, fundraisers and supporters across the UK. So far the money raised has been used to support over 1.5 million NHS workers, provided staff and patients with well being hubs, ipads, activity packs and long term mental health support.

Commenting on Stagecoach South’s donation Ellie Orton, Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together said: “We are so thankful to Stagecoach South for their incredible donation using excess change during lockdown, whilst keeping their cash handling to a minimum during the peak of the pandemic. All money raised will go towards supporting our NHS staff, volunteers and patients both practically and emotionally, now and in the longer term as the NHS recovers from the most challenging time in its history.”

 

 

Photographed (left to right) are Stagecoach South Operations Director Gordon Frost, and Matron Tanya Collis from Winchester Royal County Hospital.