Bus passengers in Merseyside will soon be able to board a bright yellow Arriva bus to raise awareness of the baby hospice charity Zoe’s Place.
The bus operator has supported the charity, which has a branch in Liverpool, for more than a decade but this year Arriva has pulled out all the stops with the newly designed bus to celebrate the vital work the charity does.
The double-decker has painstakingly been given a makeover at Arriva’s St Helens depot in time for the company’s charity golf tournament in aid of Zoe’s Place, which took place at Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa last Friday (14th July 2023).
The Arriva North West Annual Charity Golf event has been taking place since 1999 and has been supporting Zoe’s Place since 2007.
The golf tournament sees teams from across Arriva compete with local businesses and suppliers, so far, the annual events have raised almost £300,000 for Zoe’s Place, which provides palliative, respite and end-of-life care to children from birth to five years old who are suffering from life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.
The brightly decorated double-decker rolled into Formby Hall for the event before it travelled back to Bootle bus depot, ready to go out in service.
The yellow and blue livery design, featuring the supersized teddy bear, was created by graphic design specialists Logoshack Digital, which worked on the project free of charge.
Phil Cummins, regional engineering director for Arriva, said:
“We’re always ready, willing, and able to do whatever we can to support Zoe’s Place, which is such a worthy cause.
“It’s a key value for us at Arriva that we make a difference and it’s great to see the difference we make each year by supporting a charity that does such important work for children and their families.
“We’re proud of the continuing support we give to the charity and we hope to raise more money for them at the golf tournament.
“I also hope that passengers who perhaps aren’t aware of Zoe’s Place see our big, bright bus as they travel and take a moment to look them up and support them.”
Gina Earnshaw, corporate and major donor fundraiser at Zoe’s Place said:
“Arriva’s ongoing support and contributions have meant so much to Zoe’s Place throughout the years.
“We are immensely grateful for the excitement their dedicated bus brings to the streets of Merseyside, spreading smiles and raising awareness about our cause. Being part of this incredible partnership fills us with gratitude.
“On behalf of everyone at Zoe’s Place, I extend our sincerest thanks to Arriva for their remarkable contributions to our charity, enabling us to support families and help them live life to its fullest.”
The Zoe’s Place Charity Golf Classic event was followed by a gala dinner, featuring an auction to raise more funds for the cause, which runs hospices for children in Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Coventry.
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