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Nov07
Women in Bus and Coach Bursary for the Women in Transport LEAD Programme 2026
Women in Bus and Coach are proud to sponsor a place on the Women in Transport LEAD Programme for 2026 through our bursary scheme. This initiative provides a unique opportunity for a woman working in bus, coach or community transport to gain invaluable professional development at senior level. About the Bursary This bursary is designed to support women groups who face barriers to accessing funding, particularly those who are self-employed, working in SMEs, charities, or non-profits. The programme is most beneficial for those who can apply the learning directly in their current role, helping to foster career progression and leadership ...
Nov05
Spotlight On Sharon Wildman, Managing Director
The Women in Bus and Coach “Spotlight On” initiative shines a light on the incredible contributions of women in all roles across the bus, coach, and community transport sector. From professional drivers and engineers to human resources experts and CEO’s, ‘Spotlight On’ will highlight the diverse talents and achievements of women in this dynamic industry. Today we focus on and find out about: Sharon Wildman Managing Director/Company Owner Excel Tail Lift Services Limited How did you get to where you are today? The business roots was from my father who enabled us to purchase two vans 20years back in 2005 ...
Oct28
Spotlight On Carol Sim, Operations Director
The Women in Bus and Coach “Spotlight On” initiative shines a light on the incredible contributions of women in all roles across the bus, coach, and community transport sector. From professional drivers and engineers to human resources experts and CEO’s, ‘Spotlight On’ will highlight the diverse talents and achievements of women in this dynamic industry. Today we focus on and find out about: Carol Sim Operations Director Stagecoach South How did you get to where you are today? I worked in a bus station café in my local town from the age of 13 until the age of 18, around ...
Oct27
The Ripple Effect of Mentorship: A Personal Reflection on National Mentoring Day
By Nalisha Fernandes Women in Bus and Coach Mentee Director “We are the sum total of our experiences.” – Maya Angelou Today, on National Mentoring Day, I find myself reflecting on the mentors who’ve shaped my journey. Each conversation, challenge, and moment of encouragement has helped form who I am today. Mentorship, to me, is more than guidance. It is a relationship built on trust, encouragement, and shared growth. Why Mentorship Matters Mentoring has long been recognised as a powerful way for companies to develop talent by leveraging internal knowledge and boosting job satisfaction. The evidence is clear. 70% of ...
Oct23
Spotlight On Kerry Mansfield, Operations Manager
The Women in Bus and Coach “Spotlight On” initiative shines a light on the incredible contributions of women in all roles across the bus, coach, and community transport sector. From professional drivers and engineers to human resources experts and CEO’s, ‘Spotlight On’ will highlight the diverse talents and achievements of women in this dynamic industry. Today we focus on and find out about: Kerry Mansfield Operations Manager Stagecoach Did you experience any challenges getting to where you are today? No issues slight delays but nothing significant. What do you like about the bus, coach or community transport sector? Family feel, ...
Oct22
Celebrating Women, Championing Change: Reflections from the 2025 Summit
By Amanda O’Donoghue, Women in Bus and Coach Marketing Team I had the pleasure of attending the Women in Bus and Coach Annual Summit and Awards on 30th September at BT’s fabulous Birmingham offices. I’ve been part of the Women in Bus and Coach communications and marketing team since its launch, and this year’s event felt like a real milestone, a chance to reflect, reconnect, and celebrate how far we’ve come. A day of celebration and connection The Summit brought together leaders, frontline colleagues, allies and supporters from across the bus, coach and community transport sector. The energy in the ...
Oct16
Spotlight on Amy Hutson, Operations Supervisor
The Women in Bus and Coach “Spotlight On” initiative shines a light on the incredible contributions of women in all roles across the bus, coach, and community transport sector. From professional drivers and engineers to human resources experts and CEO’s, ‘Spotlight On’ will highlight the diverse talents and achievements of women in this dynamic industry. For Community Transport Week we are focussing on and find out about: Amy Hutson Operations Supervisor HcL How did you get to where you are today? I was looking for a job 9 years ago back in 2015 and started as the cleaner here at ...
Oct15
Spotlight On Dolina Gorman, Fundraising and Marketing Manager
The Women in Bus and Coach “Spotlight On” initiative shines a light on the incredible contributions of women in all roles across the bus, coach, and community transport sector. From professional drivers and engineers to human resources experts and CEO’s, ‘Spotlight On’ will highlight the diverse talents and achievements of women in this dynamic industry. For Community Transport Week we are focussing on and find out about: Dolina Gorman Fundraising and Marketing Manager Handicabs Lothian trading as HcL How did you get to where you are today? I have worked in the third sector for over 20 years, my early ...
Oct12
Spotlight on Alison Harley, Programme Manager at Climate Action Strathaven
The Women in Bus and Coach “Spotlight On” initiative shines a light on the incredible contributions of women in all roles across the bus, coach, and community transport sector. From professional drivers and engineers to human resources experts and CEO’s, ‘Spotlight On’ will highlight the diverse talents and achievements of women in this dynamic industry. For Community Transport Week we are focussing on and find out about: Alison Harley Programme Manager Climate Action Strathaven, a fab Scottish Charity How did you get to where you are today? By being myself, I believe in keeping it real and I love being ...
Oct09
This Little Girl Is Me 2025
Each year, on 11th October, Inspiring Girls International runs a global online campaign to celebrate International Day of the Girl - This Little Girl Is Me.
Oct02
Celebrating our Winners from the Women in Bus and Coach Awards 2025
At the Women in Bus and Coach Summit 2025, we had the honour of presenting our annual Awards, recognising the outstanding women and allies making a difference in the bus, coach and community transport sector. Now in their second year, the Awards highlight not only individual achievements but also the progress being made towards building a more inclusive, supportive and innovative industry. With hundreds of nominations received, our judges were struck by the depth of talent, leadership and passion on display. Choosing the winners was no easy task, and we extend our congratulations to all those recognised. Join us in ...
Oct01
Photos from the Women in Bus and Coach Summit 2025
We’ve captured some of the moments from the Women in Bus and Coach Summit 2025, held in Birmingham on 30th September. Browse our photo gallery, you might just find a photo of yourself!
Oct01
Women in Bus and Coach Celebrates Third Annual Summit in Birmingham
Women in Bus and Coach held its third annual summit at lead sponsor BT’s state of the art event facility in Snowhill Birmingham yesterday (30th September), bringing together industry leaders, stakeholders, frontline operators and advocates to celebrate the remarkable contributions of women in all roles across the bus, coach and community transport sector Expertly compered by renowned transport announcement voiceover artist Emma Hignett, whose distinctive work can be heard across Transport for London, the Elizabeth Line, Go North East and many others, the summit was delivered with warmth and professionalism, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience for all attendees. The ...
Sep23
Spotlight on Sarah Courtney, SQAT Supplier Quality Assurance Technician
The Women in Bus and Coach “Spotlight On” initiative shines a light on the incredible contributions of women in all roles across the bus, coach, and community transport sector. From professional drivers and engineers to human resources experts and CEO’s, ‘Spotlight On’ will highlight the diverse talents and achievements of women in this dynamic industry. Today we focus on and find out about: Sarah Courtney SQAT Supplier Quality Assurance Technician Wrightbus Was engineering something you always wanted to do? How did this career come to mind? I started off as a Bench Joiner when I came into bus and coach ...
Sep11
Go-Ahead Women – Driving Inclusion, Empowering Futures
Hello, I’m Carolyn Ferguson, Company Secretary at Go-Ahead. I’m incredibly proud to be an executive sponsor of Go-Ahead’s very first nationwide programme launched last year – Go-Ahead Women. We recognise that to be truly customer centric, our teams need to reflect the communities we serve. Given 50% of the population in the UK is female, then we should also have a workforce that is 50% female, and this is something Go-Ahead Women aims to achieve by 2035. To do this we need to meaningfully increase the number of women we recruit by showing them why being a bus driver can ...
Sep10
Spotlight On Suzy Kettle, Driver, Dial-a-Ride Woodford TfL
The Women in Bus and Coach “Spotlight On” initiative shines a light on the incredible contributions of women in all roles across the bus, coach, and community transport sector. From professional drivers and engineers to human resources experts and CEO’s, ‘Spotlight On’ will highlight the diverse talents and achievements of women in this dynamic industry. Today we focus on and find out about: Suzy Kettle Driver Dial-a-Ride, Woodford Transport for London Tell us a little bit about your journey to becoming a bus driver Hi my name is Suzy kettle, I am a single mum of two children aged 13-15 ...
Sep03
Spotlight on Avtar Kaur, Bus Driver, First Bus London
The Women in Bus and Coach “Spotlight On” initiative shines a light on the incredible contributions of women in all roles across the bus, coach, and community transport sector. From professional drivers and engineers to human resources experts and CEO’s, ‘Spotlight On’ will highlight the diverse talents and achievements of women in this dynamic industry. Today we focus on and find out about: Avtar Kaur Bus Driver First Bus London Tell us a little bit about your journey to becoming a bus driver My journey in the industry started with a visit to the job centre 26 years ago. There ...
Aug26
MCV – Built to Move the World — Designed to Break Barriers
From its roots in Egypt to roads across the globe, MCV has grown into a trusted name in global bus manufacturing, renowned not only for engineering excellence but also for advancing meaningful change in the industry. Anchored in values of quality, customer focus, innovation, integrity and safety, MCV is challenging the norms of an industry long labelled as “manpower-driven”. At MCV, talent has no gender. That belief fuels real change through targeted recruitment, mentorship, skills training and leadership advocacy. On the factory floor and beyond, inclusion is more than a policy, it’s a performance driver. Women at MCV are contributing ...
Aug22
Behind the Scenes of the Women in Bus and Coach Awards: What the Nominations Told Us
As we approach the announcement of winners for the second Women in Bus and Coach (WiBC) Awards, we wanted to take a moment to share what we’ve learned throughout the judging process – and why we’re more excited than ever for the Summit on 30th September. Over the past few weeks, we’ve read through every nomination, shortlisted outstanding individuals, and completed interviews with finalists across the categories. And let us tell you, the stories we’ve heard have been nothing short of inspiring. A True Cross-Section of the Sector We received over 70 applications from 37 organisations across the UK. The ...
Aug20
Allyship Initiative: Sam Wharfe, Executive Chairman,C9 Recruitment
Our Allyship initiative recognises individuals who have been allies in supporting and encouraging Women across the bus, coach, and community transport sector. Individuals who have contributed significantly to the professional growth and empowerment of women, whether through mentorship, advocacy, or creating opportunities for women to thrive, these allies have played a crucial role in promoting gender equality and diversity in our sector. This initiative aims to encourage everyone to be allies, with the individuals featured sharing insights into their own professional career background, their ally approach, as well as providing suggestions and advice on how we all can be allies. ...
Aug19
Q&A with Richard Grey on Winning the Allyship Award 2024
As we count down to the 2025 Women in Bus and Coach (WiBC) Awards, we caught up with one of last year’s inspiring winners. Richard Grey, Managing Director of Greys Travel Solutions, was awarded the Peter, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill Allyship Award, sponsored by the Go-Ahead Group, in recognition of his ongoing commitment to creating a more inclusive workplace. In this Q&A, Richard reflects on what the award meant to him, how allyship has shaped his leadership, and why building inclusive cultures matters more than ever in the coach industry. What has the award meant to you? Winning the ...
