Hoping to bus-t million pound charity target

A BUS company is hoping to be just the ticket for cancer fund-raisers as it launched a partnership with the aim of providing £1 million to charity.

Thousands of FirstGroup’s employees, including staff from local bus operator First in Rotherham, have chosen Prostate Cancer UK as the company’s new UK Charity of Choice after a recent vote.

Owen Sharp, chief executive at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “The fact that FirstGroup employees voted for us shows how much men’s health, and prostate cancer in particular, is an issue, and we thank everyone who voted for us.

“Their support will also go a long way in helping Prostate Cancer UK reach its goals in building a movement fighting against the disease.”

The three-year partnership between FirstGroup and Prostate Cancer UK hopes to raise a million pounds for men affected by prostate cancer, and their partners and families, through employee events, collections and promotions.

First donations will fund the production of a million Know Your Prostate credit card-sized leaflets and other resources to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

First will also provide Prostate Cancer UK with valuable advertising space throughout its UK bus and rail networks.

Ben Gilligan, managing director of First South Yorkshire, part of FirstGroup’s bus division, said: “My colleagues in Rotherham voted in massive numbers with many telling us they chose Prostate Cancer UK with family members that they care about in mind.”

This is the third UK Charity of Choice partnership that FirstGroup has adopted.

More than £5.5 million has been raised so far for the previous partnerships with Save The Children and Macmillan Cancer Support.

FirstGroup is on course to donate more than £1 million in cash and in kind to Macmillan before the current partnership finishes in March, 2015.