First to Know Spring 2016 by i•creation

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Spring 2016

know

The magazine for First people in Hampshire, Dorset & Berkshire A copy of First to Know has been printed for

EVERY EMPLOYEE Please take your copy to keep.

ARCHER

Pat

sets her sights on PAGE SEVEN

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Managers receive charity accolade Working to make bus travel more attractive

HAMPSHIRE Fire and Rescue Service has commended colleagues at the Portsmouth depot at an awards ceremony. Hilsea Staff Manager Ian Woodcock and Operations Manager Bill Sprake were nominated for the Charity Award at the fire services’ Celebrating Success Awards. They received a certificate of commendation for providing a bus to take Southsea pensioners to the fire service’s Christmas luncheon. The annual awards recognise the achievements of fire service staff and partners that have gone above and beyond to make Hampshire safer. ■ Ian, left, and Bill are pictured with the award certificate.

By Managing Director

Marc Reddy

AS the evenings start to get lighter, summer is definitely on its way. Some parts of our business are very seasonal, especially in Weymouth and Bridport, and our revenues are influenced by the amount of people who choose to use the bus whilst holidaying in the area. Clearly, the weather plays a major part on the number of tourists in an area, but the weather also affects the number of people who travel by bus in all parts of our business. Most of you will know that more people use their car when it is raining – and we see the additional traffic congestion on our roads as a consequence. Working with our local authority partners is vital in getting bus priority measures in place to help combat some of these congestion issues. The ultimate ambition is to have our own dedicated road like the Bus Rapid Transit for Eclipse services in Fareham and Gosport, but I recognise that it is just not possible to have this type of facility everywhere. However, we do work with our highway partners to develop various different plans like, for example, traffic lights priority, bus gates and bus lanes. But like many development plans, it can take time for these to materialise. Making the bus journey more reliable and quicker is one of the key attractions for people to use our services. So in the coming months, we are going to be looking closely at how we can achieve small incremental changes to try and improve the punctuality of services across our business. We will do this by looking at issues such as the number of coins needed as change for popular fares and issuing tickets for concessionary pass holders.

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More job chats and informal meetings MPROVED communications is one of the key findings being acted upon in the depots around First Hampshire, Berkshire and Dorset as a result of the Your Voice Survey. More one-to-one meetings between staff and managers are being organised as well as informal tea with the team sessions, which will take place in depot canteens. The jobs chat will help to ensure good ideas and suggestions are picked up and acted upon and also help to make colleagues feel more empowered about the role they play in the workplace. Many of the ideas that came through the wide-sweeping survey are still being analysed and others have now been fed back to the individual depots. The vast majority of colleagues across the OpCo took part in the survey with £1,400 raised for First’s Charity of Choice – Prostate Cancer UK – in the process. First Hampshire, Dorset and Berkshire HR Business Partner Tabitha McGauley said: “Effective communications is a key to everything we try to achieve as a company.

Driver Mike Jacobs, left, has a one-to-one discussion with Team Leader Alan Blake at Pound Tree Road, Southampton. “We are always looking to improve things and it was clear from the Your Voice survey that there were ways we could make this even more effective. “One-to-one sessions work

very well as do the informal chats with the team over a cup of tea. There are a number of initiatives we are looking at as well and these are being fed back to the individual depots.”

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Ollie kept his cool in face of

KNIFE MAN ORTSMOUTH Driver Ollie Najdzien stayed cool as a cucumber when a knife-wielding man chased someone else onto his bus – and his heroics earned him a much-deserved Superstar award. It was pitch black and Ollie was at the wheel of a late Service 17 in Portsmouth when the drama unfolded. “I’d just pulled away from a bus stop when Superstar I noticed someone running alongside Ollie Najdzien screaming and shouting,” said 28-year-old pictured at Ollie. “He pressed the emergency open Portsmouth button and forced his way on board. I then depot. noticed a man with a knife and left the scene immediately. “If I’d had kept on my route we’d have gone up a dead end to the terminus so I and waited for the police. They thought it was drove off line while radioing control to alert the a drug deal gone wrong. police. When I pulled over at a place of safety “Control nominated me for the Superstar for about half a mile away, the man jumped off my quick-thinking. If I’d have driven up the and disappeared. I was a bit shaken up but dead end it could have been much worse so I re-assured the elderly chap sitting behind me was glad I thought out of the box and made

sure my passengers were safe.” Staff Manager Ian Woodcock said: “For a young guy, he’s an exemplary employee. He has such a mature head on his shoulders and he’s a shining star – a good example of what we expect from our employees.”

Zebra crossing at Empress Road

FIRST Hampshire has thrown its support behind an exciting new arts project involving Marwell Zoo. Zany Zebras will see a series of sculptures – based on the distinctively striped creatures – spring up around Southampton for 10 weeks in the summer. The idea is to create a fun family trail as well as brighten up the city’s streets. First are sponsoring the project, which is being co-ordinated by Marwell Zoo – and the

Brewing up charity cash

DRIVERS took a break from the wheel to nibble cake and enjoy a cuppa as part of a community First fundraiser for a local Southampton hospice for cancer General Manager sufferers. Chrissie Bainbridge, Employees from right, and Kirstie Southampton, Fareham Mathieson from Marwell and Portsmouth depots Zoo welcome Gilbert joined in the Big Tea Cosy the Zebra to the event in aid of Wessex depot. Haven, which provides personalised care and support for breast cancer sufferers from its centre in Titchfield, Hampshire. They joined local celebrities, politicians, school children and office workers for the charity initiative, which is set to brew up several thousand pounds. Wessex Haven’s finishing touches are community fundraiser Heidi now being applied to the company’s very Rehman said: “We hope own Zany Zebra – a sculpture called Ticket the Big Tea Cosy goes from to Ride. Gilbert, the original Zany Zebra strength to strength and “paid a visit” to the Empress Road depot becomes part of people’s to mark the partnership. For more details annual event calendar.” on the project zanyzebras.org.uk.

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Harry Cooper pictured behind the wheel of a StreetLite bus during his visit to Hilsea depot.

Dave’s top tips

Everyone at the three depots played their part. Right, Weymouth Engineer Paul Galliger and below Engineering Administrator Kaz Fry.

AS part of a series of regular features, EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR DAVE McVIE shares useful tips with colleagues and this time focuses on how to make best use of the Almex ticket machines…

First Wessex Business Manager Mark Williams holds the Be First trophy. Looking on are, left to right, Drivers Carol Sim and Ricki Frost, General Manager Simon Newport and Engineering Manager Tony Grange.

Dream comes true for bus fan

Wessex scoops top THE new smart ticket machines have a range of functions that can make life easier for drivers, including advancing or retracting ticket roll and avoiding a cutter fail. Pressing the F button and then the downward arrow on the machine lets drivers choose either the advance or retract option. This allows the last of an old ticket roll to be extracted and a new one to be loaded – the function also aligns the new roll correctly in the cutter head to avoid cutter fail issues, as drivers do not need to lift the cutter head. In addition, pressing F7 before signing on enables a test print, while drivers are reminded to push F1 prior to signing on at the start of each shift and as they bring their vehicle back to the depot. When the F12 button is pressed, a variety of different functions can be selected. These include a “withdrawn pass” function, which will allow two copies of the ticket to be printed – one for the customer and one for the driver. Full Almex manuals are also available in the training department for all drivers to have a look at.

group honour HREE Wessex depots have scooped a top FirstGroup honour at the Be First Awards which are open to all 110,000 employees across the UK and North America. Weymouth, Yeovil and Bridport picked up the Delivering Our Strategy, Combining Expertise Award for successfully developing new ways of working to deliver commercial and competitive benefits. Staff members have turned round a loss-making part of the business. Their award citation read: “The team at

Weymouth depot and its sub stations at Bridport and Yeovil has turned the business into an effective operation by harnessing existing talent to improve both performance and image.” First Wessex Business Manager Mark Williams and Engineering Manager Tony Grange picked up their gong from FirstGroup Chief Executive Tim O'Toole during a glittering ceremony hosted by sports presenter Ray Stubbs at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester. Marc Reddy, the First Hampshire, Dorset

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have all played a huge part in finding ways of working smarter together. I am extremely proud of them all and they are a credit to both our business and First Bus as a whole.”

Runners up praised for outstanding achievements

Pushchairs policy MORE than two pushchairs are now permitted aboard StreetLite vehicles as long as there is space and it is safe to do so. First Bus Head of Policy John Birtwistle put the new guidance in place to clear up confusion and because StreetLites do have more buggy space. The existing policy for pushchairs on all other vehicle types remains in place – a maximum of two only are permitted. The wheelchair policy remains the same – only one per bus.

and Berkshire Managing Director said: “It is an incredible achievement by everybody at the three depots where each team member has worked so hard over the past two years to improve all areas of their business activities. “Drivers, engineers, administration support staff and cleaners as well as the local management team

Pictured with some of the award-winning roadside publicity posters are, left to right, First Hampshire Commercial Manager Matthew Callow, Marketing Manager Steven Spilsbury and Roadside Publicity Officer Simon Newbrooke.

MORE recognition came the way of First Hampshire at the FirstGroup Be First Awards staged in Manchester. Both runners up awards, Southampton Engineering Manager Neil Moreno was rewarded in the Accountable For Performance category while the Marketing and Roadside Publicity Team of Steven Spilsbury, Mike Thake, Simon Newbrook and Mark Berry came up trumps for Delivering Our Vision. Neil was cited for his down-to-earth and approachable management style while the marketing team was recognised for its work to develop modern, vibrant, roadside and marketing materials. First Hampshire, Dorset and Berkshire Business Performance Director Chrissie Bainbridge said: “This is an outstanding achievement for both Neil and our marketing team.

Southampton Engineering Manager Neil Moreno is congratulated by General Manager Chrissie Bainbridge. “They all work tirelessly, carrying out tasks which are crucial to the efficiency and smooth running of our business. They are a credit to our business and, indeed, the bus industry as a whole.”

YOUNG Harry Cooper lives and sleeps buses – so when First Solent heard about his passion they made his dream come true with a VIP guided depot tour. The 10-year-old contacted First Bus’ customer services team to ask if he could come to visit Hilsea depot in Portsmouth and the company rolled out the red carpet for him. Accompanied by his dad Brian, he was shown around the engineering section where he saw one of the company’s iconic Star buses undergoing some essential maintenance work. He then had the chance to get behind the wheel of one of

the latest StreetLite vehicles. Control Inspector Noel Lawless, who took him on the tour, said: “After our customer service team received his message, we were more than happy to show him around the depot. “He has a great knowledge of buses, and especially bus safety. It is fantastic to see such enthusiasm. “We have promised that he can come back to see us again when we get any new vehicles for him to look around.” To round off his visit, Harry was presented with a First Solent goody bag, to go with his happy memories.

Defibrillator in place at depot THE first of two life-saving defibrillators has been installed at Pound Tree Road depot in Southampton. Employees have also received training from St John Ambulance on how to use the piece of equipment. A total of £1,740 was raised to pay for the emergency equipment by colleagues after Driver Rob Marshall was inspired to act. He witnessed a defibrillator being used by bystanders to revive his dad after he suffered a heart attack. Match funding from First has also been pledged and will pay for a second defibrillator that will be located at Southampton’s Empress Road Depot.

Southampton Controller Adrian Page with the new defibrillator at Pound Tree Road depot.

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Harry Cooper pictured behind the wheel of a StreetLite bus during his visit to Hilsea depot.

Dave’s top tips

Everyone at the three depots played their part. Right, Weymouth Engineer Paul Galliger and below Engineering Administrator Kaz Fry.

AS part of a series of regular features, EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR DAVE McVIE shares useful tips with colleagues and this time focuses on how to make best use of the Almex ticket machines…

Dream comes true for bus fan

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have all played a huge part in finding ways of working smarter together. I am extremely proud of them all and they are a credit to both our business and First Bus as a whole.”

Runners up praised for outstanding achievements

Southampton Controller Adrian Page with the new defibrillator at Pound Tree Road depot.

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True story videos analyse cause of accidents FOUR drivers involved in road traffic accidents have retold their stories to help others avoid similar situations. The short films use CCTV footage to analyse what went wrong and then apply Smiths principles – rules which when applied can help drivers drive more safely and avoid collisions – to show how safer driving practice would have helped in each scenario.

The campaign reinforces the five Smiths principles of Aim High ® In Steering, Get The Big Picture ®, Keep Your Eyes Moving ®, Leave Yourself An Out ® and Make Sure They See You ®, which are known to reduce accidents when kept at the front of drivers’ minds. ● Look out for the videos on betterjourneysforlife.com and on leaflets and screens around the depots.

Simple, smart and seamless plan for future VERYONE at First Bus is being urged to place a new focus on customer service to build a more successful future for all. Research is underway to help the company understand customers’ changing expectations of public transport and develop services which fit. At the heart of the drive is the plan to make everything the company does to look after its customers simple, smart and seamless. Discussions with customers, employees and even people who don’t use the bus has shown a clear need for improved information, easier access, more reliable services and a better customer experience all round. First Bus Commercial Director Mark Powles said better use of technology and more relevant information would help customers integrate bus transport into bigger journeys, which might start

and finish by bike, on foot or in a taxi. And he said everyone had a role to play in building customers’ trust of services, vehicles and staff to push bus travel up their list of priorities. Mark said: “Feedback from the research will be shared with colleagues in April and we will use it to prioritise action to create a better customer experience.” He said everything from providing better technology and information to cleaner buses and giving a friendly smile and welcome to the bus would make a difference in making sure more customers choose the bus as part of their journey. Moves are already underway to achieve this. Two existing apps, for mticketing and journey information, will be relaunched later this year in a new, improved single app. A huge investment in new

Travel Shop Assistant Vanessa Cooke helps customers Susan Tatton, centre, and Ann Newton, at the travel shop in Stoke-on-Trent bus station. vehicles will continue this year, with more double deckers being introduced on key routes. And work has started on developing smart, modern new uniforms, with employees being consulted on design and practicality. Mark said: “I see huge opportunities to be more customer focused, to improve customer numbers and revenues, and this drives the profit we need to continue to invest in First Bus and its employees.”

Bring the page to life with our exciting mobile app

Download our free First Bus AR app from the app store.

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Scan the photo or logo where you see the ‘Scan Here’ marker.

When the video starts, double-tap your screen for full screen view.

Nominate now for Awards 2016 HUNDREDS of nominations have already been received for this year’s First Bus excellence awards. The awards will recognise outstanding achievement where First Bus people have excelled over the last year, gone above and beyond and done a fantastic job. Any employee can nominate colleagues for an award across 15 categories. To nominate visit firstgroup.com/excellence awards, pick a category; nominate a colleague or a team; write a few words about why they should win; and click submit. For each nomination received, First Bus will donate £5 to Prostate Cancer UK. In the last year First Group has donated over £350,000 to its Charity of Choice.

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Archer on target for return to USA RCHER Pat Hotchkiss is so dedicated to her sport that she is targeting a second trip to America to compete against thousands of the best arrow enthusiasts in the world. The Hoeford Driver, pictured, picked up a bow for the first time just four years ago but is already so committed that she travelled to Las Vegas earlier this year to shoot. She has even organised a split shift working pattern with First so she can have Sundays off to take part in competitions or extra target practice. A member of the Forest of Bere Bowmen archery club based in Horndean, Pat spends as much time on the range as she can though a trapped nerve and dodgy shoulders are playing havoc with her training regime at the moment. She said: “I started after seeing an advertisement for a starter day in Gosport and thought I’d give it a go. I did a six week beginners course and to be honest I was rubbish at first.”

But she soon picked it up and now shoots with a compound bow weighing 45Ibs over distances ranging from 70 to 180 metres at a target with a centre measuring just two centimetres across. “My bow, sight, scope and arrow rest cost £1,600 with indoor arrows setting me back £8 each and outdoor ones £25 each. They can get smashed up with just one shot but luckily I haven’t damaged any of my £25 arrows yet,” she added. “I love the sport. It’s a real challenge. Earlier this year I went to America with my husband Myer and joined 3,000 other archers at the Vegas Shoot. I did okay and have already decided I’m going back again next year and will try to go further in the tournament.”

White rabbit brightens Blue Monday CONTROLLER Deborah Walton-Perryman donned a giant white rabbit costume to brighten the mood for customers at Slough bus station… on the most depressing day of the year. She hopped into character for Blue Monday (officially recognised as the gloomiest day of the year). As well as cheering up people boarding buses, she also helped them make the most of ticket offers, including the Slough First Day Explorer and First Day Area. Deborah said: “All my colleagues have been pulling my (hind) leg about wearing the fancy dress, but it is all about having some fun and giving our customers something to talk about and remember. Some of their reactions have been absolutely priceless.” First Berkshire General Manager Simon Goff said: “We can always count on Deborah to bring a smile to people’s faces.”

Chance to learn on the internet STAFF are being urged to try their hand at anything from basic maths to IT skills or a language course to SCUBA diving to celebrate National Learning at Work Week. Opportunities are available at the Lifelong Learning Centres in most depots, but courses can also be accessed on smartphones and tablets, wherever there is an internet connection. Information will be posted on betterjourneys forlife.com in the run up to the special week from May 16-22. First Bus wants to hear from staff who have studied at work or in their own time to find the stars of Learning at Work Week.

Enhanced Route 13 EXTRA journeys are being added to a key First Southampton city centre route. Starting from April 10, there will be a 30-minute each way bus service on Route 13 (City Centre to Harefield), between 8am and 3pm, Monday to Friday. It comes as the result of Southampton City Council withdrawing funding for the Bitterne Hoppa service, which First operated. The company has decided to use the vehicle to enhance Route 13’s daytime weekday journeys.

Big hit with soccer fans

The white rabbit, aka Deborah Walton-Perryman, meets customer Tapiwa Chisvetoh at Slough bus station. Inset, Deborah minus the costume.

FIRST Solent scored a big hit with Portsmouth FC fans after organising a weekend ticket deal. Supporters who travelled to Pompey’s Saturday home game with Oxford United by bus were then able to enjoy another day’s travel around the city absolutely free on the Sunday. It was part of a buy one get one free First Day Ticket initiative the company trialled earlier this year to encourage more people to use the bus.

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Awards for ‘extra mile’

Bullseye!

Chris Hutton with trophies won by her and the darts team.

Darts fan Chris is trophy winner ORTSMOUTH Travel Shop Clerk Chris Hutton hit the bullseye when she took up darts 42 years ago and still enjoys her arrows all these years later – even though she does not have a board at home. She plays for trophy-winning First Hampshire team Portsmouth B who recently finished runners up in the National Passenger Transport Sports Association (NPTSA) South Zone Plate Trophy

Chris said: “We like our darts at Portsmouth and also have an A team who played in the same NPTSA tournament as us at Coventry. They finished runners up in the National Trophy. “My mum Noreen was a good player and introduced me to the sport the year before I married. My late husband Trevor, who was a bus driver, got me playing for the company. That was 17 years ago.” Now 61 and a First employee

for 19 years, Chris plays for the company team at the Rose In June pub and every Thursday at Paulsgrove Social Club while also fulfilling administrative duties as NTPSA Zone Secretary for which she was rewarded with the Secretary Shield this year. “I enjoy my darts and always have,” she said. “It’s a great game and the social side is good. We’re not a brilliant team but we have fun.”

Fundraising Calendar MORE than £100 was raised for Prostate Cancer UK through the sale of a charity calendar at First Hampshire travel shops. The calendar featured monthly pictures of current fleet vehicles, which can be regularly seen operating in and around Hampshire. Following its fundraising success and based on feedback, the company is planning an even bigger and better calendar for 2017. It is set to include bus enthusiast favourites like the Eclipse and Star service buses.

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STAFF are to be recognised on a monthly basis through the newly launched Extra Mile Awards. The concept is simple – colleagues nominated in one of the five categories reflecting First’s vision and values could receive a bronze or silver certificate. Local teams would then review all silver certificate holders at the end of the year before awarding a gold certificate in each category. These winners will go through to a best of the best section and could win a diamond award at the national Excellence Awards. Nominations can come from both colleagues and customers. First Bus Managing Director Giles Fearnley said: “These new awards are a direct result of your feedback on how we celebrate great performance. I hope everyone in our business feels compelled to nominate someone they work with who has gone the extra mile.”

Bus driving taster day A recruitment open day was held to help enrol more drivers at Southampton Depot. Managers, trainers and HR staff gave prospective colleagues an in-depth guide to being a driver. There was also the chance to get behind the wheel of one of First’s vehicles. General Manager Chrissie Bainbridge said: “The open day was organised to give those people who are interested in becoming bus drivers a chance to discover more about the work and how it can be tailored to suit all kinds of lifestyles.”

Have you got news for us? Pound Tree Road Travel Shop Assistant Sharon with the calendar.

IF you have a news item please contact Alison Reijman, PR Manager (South Coast), by emailing alison.reijman @firstgroup.com or by calling 02380 714832.