TfGM is offering groups the chance to win a decommissioned school bus

Whether it's reading spaces, quiet places or somewhere to meet new faces, people are being asked to submit their ideas for a chance to win a free decommissioned yellow school bus this summer.

From Monday 23 May, individuals, schools, community groups, sports teams and volunteer organisations can bid to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to win one of nine yellow school buses that will be decommissioned from the existing fleet in July 2022.

Interested groups have until Friday 24 June to submit their proposal online before the applications are considered and the winning entries announced.

Entries will be judged on several criteria, including originality, creativity, and benefit to the community.

The competition has been set up to run once again following the success of similar schemes in 2021, 2019 and 2018.

In 2021 a total of 17 buses were donated to various bidders, including Rochdale AFC Community Trust. They turned their bus into a place where vulnerable and at-risk children and young people could access educational support and 1:1 intervention programmes.

 

 

Ryan Bradley, community director Rochdale AFC Community Trust, said: “The bus is a real feather in our cap.

"We have used it to deliver traineeships, hold meetings, as a reading area, a matchday quiet zone and it’s also home to our food pantry.

"You have to think outside of the box; they are a great space and the possibilities are endless.”

 

 

Holcombe Brook Primary School in Bury turned their donated vehicle into a 'Mindful Bus' and currently use it as a dedicated sensory space to provide social and emotional support to their pupils. It has become the perfect space to provide further support particularly for some of their SEN pupils.

Mr Bradshaw, Headteacher of Holcombe Brook Primary School, said: “Children of all ages have been benefitting from the extra space the bus provides, from an educational perspective but also from a mental health perspective too.

“It's been a great space for the children to use their imaginations and have some much-needed sensory stimulation. We can't wait for the next stage which will be blacking out the windows and installing electricity to allow for light tunnels and bubble tubes.”

The project provides a mix of holistic support around education, life skills and employability and has been a great addition to their work.

In 2018, the first decommissioned bus was delivered to Greswell Primary School in Denton. Using lottery funding, the school transformed the bus into an outdoor library that is used by both students and the wider community.

Councillor Mark Aldred, Chair of the Greater Manchester Transport Committee, said: “Our yellow school buses are a fantastic service that allow children to get to school cheaply, safely and securely but, even when their life as a school service comes to an end, they can still be incredibly useful to communities.

“This scheme has been hugely successful when we have run it previously and I've been impressed with not just the creativity, but also the impact that previous projects have had on crucial issues such as child literacy and mental wellbeing.

“I’m really excited to see what community-spirited and thoughtful schemes people come up with this year.”

Yellow School Buses are a service provided by TfGM for secondary school children in Greater Manchester. They are easy to spot, alerting road users that children will be getting on and off.