Frontline Employee / Community Champion of the Year
A submission in this category should demonstrate:
The ways in which a frontline member of staff has gone beyond the call of duty in their role to achieving community value, customer and/or staff satisfaction and wellbeing.
It is open to frontline staff such as bus drivers, train conductors, highways inspectors, school crossing patrols, receptionists & ticket staff; volunteers and community champions (for example, volunteer community taxi or bus drivers); rail station volunteers (for example gardeners, hospitality or basic maintenance); or volunteer campaigners to improve a service or safety standards etc).
Previous Winners:
2023: Kate Evans, Bus Station Supervisor, Transport for West Midlands
2019: Anthony Kelly, Customer Engagement Officer, Transport for Greater Manchester
MTR Elizabeth line (MTREL): Richard Baker, Community Ambassador
Richard has dedicated the past 13 years to a specific route, with seven of those years spent in his role at MTREL as a Community Ambassador. In this capacity, he has spearheaded various initiatives aimed at enhancing community engagement. One significant programme he oversees is a bespoke work experience initiative for children with additional and complex needs, through which he has delivered over 400 hours of work experience since January 2024, amounting to 640 hours in the last 12 months.
Richard also conducts accessibility training for MTREL colleagues, facilitating workshops for approximately 50 staff members. He is the driving force behind the School Safety Talks programme, delivering 25 to 30 presentations annually. For the past five years, he has led the Santa Express initiative and has volunteered since 2015, additionally organising a Christmas Card competition for local schools.
His efforts extend to facilitating charitable carol singing at MTREL stations, and his Mental Health garden has consistently won the Underground in Bloom competition since his arrival at MTREL, earning recognition in Parliament's news portal. Richard initiated a train cab ride programme, focusing on children with invisible disabilities, which has offered over 100 cab rides this year and nearly 2,000 rides in the past seven years. He has made 29 suicide interventions and has actively raised awareness of mental health issues, featuring in a short film for the Samaritans’ 2024 campaign. Through partnerships with various charities, including Ageless Teenagers, he has successfully raised funds to support these initiatives.
Stadler Rail Service UK: Vicki Paull, Technician, Glasgow Subway Fleet
Vicki joined Stadler in November 2023, bringing with her nine years of experience as an aeronautical engineer in the Royal Navy. Although she is relatively new to the company, Vicki has quickly made a positive impact through her troubleshooting skills, quick thinking, and composure under pressure. Her ability to resolve problems efficiently has contributed to saving both time and resources while enhancing customer satisfaction.
One notable instance involved a recent issue with the emergency passenger intercom on a train, which the maintenance team was struggling to rectify. While the standard procedure would have entailed a common black box replacement, potentially incurring high costs and repeat faults, Vicki demonstrated her technical expertise. She utilised diagnostics and system schematics to uncover hidden faults within the cabling installation, effectively resolving the issue.
In another scenario, Vicki attended to a broken-down train blocking the line, where urgency was essential to minimise disruption. Despite nearing the end of a long shift and the team being unsure of the next steps, her quick decision-making enabled her to identify and rectify faults in the train's systems that were preventing movement. This intervention not only facilitated the prompt resolution of the situation but also significantly reduced inconvenience for passengers.
First Bus: David Copley, Bus driver
David was operating a bus in Bradford city centre when a boy, estimated to be around 12 years of age, pressed the bell to disembark. Upon opening the door, David observed an intoxicated male passenger standing up and following the boy off the bus. Noticing the man’s behaviour, which appeared suspicious, David paused for a few moments to assess the situation. He then witnessed the man placing his arms around the child’s shoulders and guiding him towards an alleyway.
Recognising the potential danger, David exited the cab and approached the child, asking, "Do you know this man?" The boy responded with a "No." The man then asserted, "He’s with me." David instructed the man to release the child and directed the boy to return to the bus, where he coordinated with other female passengers to ensure the child’s safety.
While on the phone to the police, David pursued the suspect down the alleyway, maintaining a safe distance and keeping the individual in sight. He provided the police with directions while continuing his pursuit. Approximately ten minutes later, the police apprehended the man on charges of attempted kidnapping.
In response to this incident, First Bus North & West Yorkshire has become an official supporter of the NSPCC as of May 2024, actively promoting the Listen Up, Speak Up campaign. This initiative aims to raise awareness of child safeguarding, involving workshops for operations managers across six depots and providing online training resources for all drivers.
Hitachi Rail: Ella Totterdell, Executive Assistant
Ella, a trained Mental Health First Aider, plays a pivotal role in promoting employee wellbeing within her team at Hitachi Rail. Recognising a shift in workplace dynamics that adversely affected colleagues, she has established herself as a trusted confidante for discussions surrounding personal and work-related issues. Initially serving as an Executive Assistant, Ella’s ongoing support for her colleagues and participation in various workplace initiatives culminated in her appointment as Mental Health Lead for the London office.
In her current capacity, Ella supervises a team of 12 mental health first aiders, facilitating the exchange of insights and best practices among Hitachi Rail's Mental Health Leads. She has been instrumental in launching initiatives such as lunchtime wellbeing walks and events, which create informal and supportive environments for conversations about mental health and societal challenges, including the cost of living crisis.
Her fundraising efforts have raised over £1,000 for organisations such as the Samaritans and various cancer charities. Ella has also participated in community events, including a sleepout at London Bridge station and a flash mob for Railway Children, which led to the unexpected release of an iTunes single. Furthermore, she has organised a Macmillan Cancer Support coffee morning, successfully raising more than £400, and has proactively addressed critical issues such as women’s safety by arranging Walk & Talk events in collaboration with City of London police and Fleet Street Quarter.
Stagecoach West Scotland: Rachel Hart, Marketing Assistant
Rachel is recognised as a dedicated professional with a strong aptitude for event management, often engaging in activities beyond standard working hours, including early mornings, late evenings, and weekends. She advocates for sustainable travel, demonstrating her commitment by using public transport to attend events, despite the challenges of carrying trolleys, backpacks, and additional equipment.
Her ability to engage with diverse audiences has proven instrumental in promoting the benefits of bus travel among both internal and external stakeholders. Rachel has successfully established partnerships with adult job seekers, local schools, the NHS, and the Developing the Young Workforce initiative. As a result of her efforts, applications for engineering apprenticeships have increased.
Rachel's support for work placements has provided pupils with valuable insights into the industry, thereby enhancing their future career prospects. Her extensive knowledge enables her to offer comprehensive assistance to customers, guiding them in making economical travel choices and informing them about opportunities for free bus travel, as well as the best routes available.
In addition to her customer-focused initiatives, Rachel actively engages in employee involvement and charity fundraising. She has partnered with a local charity for Santa’s Grotto Bus events, where she dedicated her personal time to wrap hundreds of gifts, ensuring a memorable experience for attendees. Colleagues commend her "can-do" attitude, noting her readiness to assist any department in need, as she consistently invests her time to enhance community welfare and customer satisfaction.
Transport for West Midlands: Lynne Harrison, Customer Intelligence Support Officer
Lynne serves as the administrative and operational support for the wider Customer Intelligence Team (CIT), providing essential information to customer-facing Field Officers to enhance their effectiveness. The services offered by CIT encompass various frontline tasks, including interviewing members of the public, assisting passengers during disruptions, conducting data collection, and monitoring the reliability of transportation services within the region.
Lynne's commitment to her role is evident in her continuous support and readiness to assist, even outside of standard working hours. On her days off, she has been known to monitor TfWM social media channels for updates on network disruptions, promptly communicating relevant information to Field Officers in the field. Her proactive mindset ensures that potential customer impacts are considered, enabling her to devise plans and suggest alternative solutions as necessary.
To further understand the customer experience, Lynne conducted a TfWM market research survey during her personal time, identifying elements that were not adequately addressing public needs. Her feedback facilitated necessary amendments to the survey, resulting in a more relatable interviewing style for customers. Additionally, Lynne influences decision-making processes in wider TfGM meetings with the customer's best interests in mind.
She has also identified key locations requiring in-person staff presence and regularly provides feedback on effective customer engagement strategies. Furthermore, Lynne developed a comprehensive training plan for new starters, promoting inclusivity and achieving 100% accuracy in data capture, while positively impacting their well-being and confidence levels.
Stagecoach South Wales: Ian Tyler, Bus Driver Aberdare Depot
Ian demonstrates a strong commitment to the health and wellbeing of his colleagues, frequently dedicating his personal time to share resources on the staff intranet. These resources include materials addressing stress and anxiety, as well as healthy cooking recipes that encourage staff to explore new dishes.
Stagecoach South Wales participates in BuddyBoost, a workplace wellbeing engagement platform that promotes the development of healthy habits through collaborative, month-long challenges. Ian has engaged in this initiative for the past three years, encouraging maximum participation by colleagues, as he believes that even a small amount of activity can yield significant benefits. His efforts contributed to Stagecoach South Wales winning first prize in 2022, resulting in £750 in prize money, which was equally donated to Latch Welsh Children's Cancer Charity and Prostate Cymru.
For the 2023 challenge, Ian set a personal goal to run 100 km, walk 50 km, and swim 5 km within the month. He actively checks in on the progress of colleagues both locally and nationally, providing motivation during challenging moments. As a token of appreciation for participants in Aberdare, he provided keepsake photographs and wristbands to recognise their achievements. In recognition of his contributions, Ian received a t-shirt and letter from the BuddyBoost organisers.
Following the completion of the challenge, Ian has continued to support his colleagues by providing fresh fruit in Aberdare at his own expense. He has also participated in the July Ogi Porthcawl 10 km race to fundraise for Prostate Cancer Cymru and Macmillan Cymru.
Lothian Buses: Thomas Fair, Bus Driver
In March 2024, Thomas was operating his Skylink 400 service en route to Fort Kinnaird when a customer informed him that another passenger was in labour on the lower saloon. Given that the Skylink 400 route passes by Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary Hospital, it was determined that Thomas should transport the expectant mother directly to the Accident & Emergency department.
Throughout the journey, Thomas provided reassurance to the woman, ensuring she remained calm and informed her that they would arrive promptly and safely. He also communicated to the other passengers that the service would be operating as ‘drop-off only’ for the remainder of the trip.
The control team promptly contacted the hospital to notify them of the situation and discuss the possibility of dispatching an ambulance to the bus’s location. However, Thomas asserted that they could reach the hospital more quickly by continuing their journey on the bus, given their proximity.
Upon arriving at the A&E entrance, Thomas successfully dropped off the patient, ensuring she was safely attended to by hospital staff. Subsequently, a colleague from Lothian assisted Thomas in reversing the bus out of the area, allowing him to return to his scheduled service. This incident highlights the adaptability and commitment of staff in ensuring passenger safety and wellbeing during unforeseen circumstances.
Stagecoach East Midlands: Daniel Sprought, Bus Driver
In response to observed situations where passengers or members of the public may be in unsafe or vulnerable positions, Daniel proposed the ‘Ask For Angel Street’ initiative, inspired by the ‘Asking for Angela’ scheme used in pubs and clubs. He approached his Manager to outline his idea, suggesting that if a passenger boarded a vehicle and requested ‘Angel Street’, the driver should assess the situation. Should the driver determine that the passenger might be at risk if they remained at the current location, they would allow free travel and ensure the passenger was safely removed from the immediate area.
The proposed protocol emphasises the importance of maintaining safety for both the passenger and the driver. The driver is encouraged to keep the passenger calm while also contacting the office to explain the situation. The office is then tasked with determining whether the police need to be involved. If the driver has not yet contacted law enforcement, the office will take the initiative to report the incident, providing necessary information for further investigation.
Feedback regarding the initiative has been positive among drivers, and promotional posters have been displayed to raise awareness. Customers have been informed through word of mouth. Stagecoach East Midlands plans to implement the #AskForAngel initiative across all depots. Additionally, a visual identity is in development for use across various promotional platforms, including business card-sized handouts for ease of use by customers in the future.
