C’mon England

The following is reproduced from the National Express staff magazine. Sent by my brother Mike, who is Head of Corporate affairs - Bus and Coach, at National Express 

By Tim Woodward, Network Planner (pictured above)
During September, I was fortunate to be able to travel, on behalf
of National Express Bus, to the Commonwealth Youth Games in
the Isle of Man.
As Official Sponsors of Commonwealth Games England (CGE),
National Express Group has selected a number of Ambassadors
from across our bus, coach, train and Group operations and this
was the first opportunity for us to get together. During the trip we
met up with CGE representatives and athletes and started to gain
an understanding of what we can do with this fantastic sponsorship
l eading up to the Commonwealth Games, Glasgow in 2014
This was the first time I’d visited the Isle of Man and I was surprised
by the great standard of sporting infrastructure in place, although this
was needed given the prestigious event being hosted. The prestige
was complimented by the presence of Dame Kelly Holmes, who we
had plenty of time to chat to and pester for photos (I even managed
to discuss the difficulties that road closures cause us during the
Birmingham Half Marathon!). She’s a very inspiring person, who’s
entirely committed to ensuring the success of Team England in 2014.
National Express also had two amazing branded coaches shuttling
athletes between their accommodation and the sporting arenas. It
was great to receive so much positive feedback about our coaches,
and to see the jealous looks from the other teams. We told people
that these are the same coaches used by our customers, and they too
are delighted with the service we offer.
Highlights of the weekend were England finishing top of the medals
table, with a total of 77 medals! Second to that would be the amazing
support that people on the island provided to the event, turning out in
their droves to cheer on the athletes. Moving forward, I’ll be working
closely with my other ambassadors, as well as people within the bus
business, to fully consider the implications of our sponsorship. This
will make sure that we’re positioned to take full advantage of this
fantastic opportunity.