Eastboune business helps get charity bus on the road

Project Wingman came up with the aim of taking an established NHS wellbeing service on the road and it has now achieved this in the form of a double decker bus.

The converted bus is being handed over to the charity today (January 29) in Kent.

At the end of 2020 the charity raised £25,000 to fund the bus. Eastbourne-based Stagecoach South East funded the respray of the bus and Faversham-based South East Coachworks helped with the process of finding the bus and providing design assistance.

Matthew Arnold, business development director of Stagecoach South East, said, “We understand that finding the space to host support lounges has been a challenge and we are delighted to have played our part in this worthy cause by painting the vehicle at our workshop in Eastbourne.”

Project Wingman was created in March last year by two airline pilots and a clinical psychologist with the aim of supporting NHS staff across the country with its first mobile wellbeing lounge.

The trio said, “At a time when aviation has been hugely impacted, grounded aircrew have been giving all they have left to deliver ‘tea and empathy’ and a metaphorical shoulder in a time of great need. As aircrew we can’t do our jobs at the moment, so we are looking after the NHS whilst they are looking after us.

“We’ve established first class style lounges inside more than 80 NHS hospitals up and down the UK. As pilots and cabin crew, we are in a unique position to do this, it’s what we’re trained to do.”

Project Wingman says the bus will provide a ‘relaxed, informal and versatile space’ manned by local aircrew volunteers for frontline staff. There is a raised upper deck roof, a fully fitted kitchen and an outside space with an awning.

The bus will be maintained by South East Coachworks Operations Ltd.

Paul Chapman, managing director of SEC Operations Ltd, said, “It has been a heart-warming experience working with Project Wingman on this bus refurbishment venture. As a company, we are thrilled to be working beside them, supplying, designing and operationally managing the bus as it supports our hard-working NHS staff through these unprecedented times.”

Rich Griffin, from Project Wingman, said, “Taking delivery of our first wellbeing bus has been an incredible journey and a huge collaborative effort for the charity; the support and guidance of SEC and Stagecoach South East in this journey cannot be underestimated. On behalf of Project Wingman, I’d like to extend our sincerest thank you”.

Matthew Arnold said, “My former colleagues and friends have been affected by the desperate situation the aviation industry currently finds itself in. Project Wingman is an excellent initiative which allows redundant talent to help relieve extraordinary pressures off of NHS staff.

“We would like to wish the staff all the very best and hope this scheme can really benefit all those involved – particularly the NHS staff who have been in the most unimaginable situation since this pandemic began.”

Professor Rob Bor, an original founder of the charity, said, “Project Wingman is a unique and practical demonstration of how frontline healthcare workers can be supported at a time of considerable professional and personal stress. The relevance of aircrew’s unique skill set is to provide listening and wellbeing support.”