Go North East launches initiatives where customers and communities can help support the NHS

Go North East, the region’s largest bus company, has embarked on two initiatives to help support local hospitals and the NHS.

The bus company has launched a campaign to collect toiletries for local hospitals and they are asking for your help.

Whilst making an essential journey or out on your daily exercise, all you need to do is pack a free-standing bag with items and bring them to a Go North East bus, placing them in the luggage pen inside so they do not need to be handled by drivers.

Go North East will then use its network of bus routes and depots as a logistical and warehouse network to help maximise collection points and co-ordinate and consolidate donations.

This adds to the company’s existing fundraising efforts to buy toiletries and other items for patients currently in hospital across the North East, as well as supporting NHS heroes.

Go North East has already collected and donated toiletries to Sunderland Royal Hospital, as well as just shy of 100 Easter eggs thanks to Asda, and colleagues at the bus company have been fundraising via a GoFundMe page so they can buy more toiletries for the NHS.

The fundraising page has been set up and in a matter of days well over £2,000 has been raised, with donations flooding in from team members across Go North East.

Will Sewell, an operations manager at the company’s depot in Sunderland, came up with the hair-raising scheme and, along with fellow operations manager Jeff Hodgson, they both committed to shaving their heads as the initial target was reached.

Martijn Gilbert, managing director at Go North East, said: “I’m immensely proud of the hard work of all our team during this crisis and is great to see our teams come together to also raise money for our local hospitals and NHS heroes.

“Using our routes and depots as logistical and warehouse network to collect and distribute toiletries gives us the opportunity to pass on even more items to hospitals, so no matter how small, any donated items on our buses will be gratefully received and we can’t thank members of the public enough for joining us for this initiative.”

Anyone who is unable to donate items on a Go North East bus but would still like to contribute can do so by visiting the company’s GoFundMe page.