Health: Halifax bus gets new lease of life helping take care of NHS staff

The 2006 Volvo double-decker has been donated by First Bus so it can be recycled and used to support the mental health and wellbeing of NHS workers.

The charity Project Wingman will turn the bus into a mobile lounge, staffed by volunteers who work across the aviation industry, that will tour hospitals and health centres.

It will become the third mobile lounge in the charity’s fleet and it is hoped will enable Project Wingman to begin visiting hospital sites in Calderdale and other parts of Yorkshire for the first time.

Christopher Carr, Transport Manager for the charity and In-Flight Lead at British Airways, flew up from Heathrow with three cabin crew to visit the Elmwood Garage depot on Huddersfield Road in Halifax and take delivery of the bus.

He said: “We are very excited to accept this fantastic donation on behalf of Project Wingman and look forward to being able to expand our wellbeing programme into Yorkshire in the coming months.”

The double-decker will now deliver the “tea and empathy” wellbeing service with sofas and chairs, plenty of room to move about, a fully fitted kitchen and an outside seating area with plants to create a garden feature beneath an extendable awning.

Darren Burton, Staff Manager of First Halifax, said: “This bus has served the people of Calderdale for 16 years. To think it will now continue to provide a very different but equally valuable service to frontline workers in the NHS is fantastic."