Coatham Coaches pledges £3,000 free travel to local schools

The Coach Travel Group operator Coatham Coaches has pledged £3,000 worth of free coach travel to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds access educational school trips.

The Teesside-based operator will provide complimentary transport for five local primary schools, supporting trips that may otherwise be out of reach for many pupils.

The initiative will fund up to £600 of transport per school, enabling some children from areas of deprivation to take part in curriculum-enhancing educational visits. The journeys will be provided where capacity allows, helping maximise the use of existing coach services while delivering meaningful social value within the local community.

School trips provide far more than a day away from the classroom. They give young people the opportunity to experience new environments, build confidence and engage with learning in ways that simply aren't possible within school walls. However, transport costs can often prevent these experiences from taking place.

Mark Hodgson, Managing Director of Coatham Coaches, said:

“As a local business, we're proud to support initiatives that make a genuine difference within our community. Educational visits can have a lasting impact on young people, and if we can help remove one of the barriers that prevents schools from organising those trips, then we're delighted to do so.

"Securing work on the NZT Power-Northern Endurance Partnership project allows us to support local schools while making the best use of our fleet during quieter periods. It's a simple way of giving something back to the communities we serve every day."

Emerging from the project’s broader social value programme, the initiative is helping to build a lasting legacy across the region by supporting education, skills development and community engagement.

Claire Wordsworth, Stakeholder & Partnerships Manager, NZT Power, said:

“It's fantastic to see Coatham Coaches using the opportunities created through its involvement in the project to support the community. Educational visits can have a transformative impact on young people, and this initiative will help more children access experiences that broaden horizons, build confidence and inspire future ambitions."

Katie Cowie, Social Impact Advisor at Balfour Beatty, said:

“Educational visits play an important role in helping children connect classroom learning with real-world experiences. This initiative demonstrates how collaboration between local businesses and project partners can create meaningful opportunities for young people across the region.”

The initiative reflects The Coach Travel Group's commitment to supporting the communities in which its operators work, demonstrating how coach travel can play an important role in improving access to education while creating positive social impact.