READING Buses has announced that its annual open day for 2024 have smashed previous records for funds raised in aid of charity.
On Sunday, June 30, the depot in Great Knolly’s Street was opened up to the public for the event which invites members of the public to take part in tours, events, and activities put on by the company.
It saw record numbers of people attending and raised more than £10,000 for the first time in the event’s history.
Reading Buses raised £12,600 for the Royal Berks Charity, Reading Buses’ charity of the year.
Robert Williams, Reading Buses’ Chief Executive Officer, excitedly announced the final total; “I am thrilled to confirm that we have absolutely smashed our Open Day record total.
“The final total raised is a staggering £12,600, the first time we have gone over £10,000.
“We were astounded by the amount of people who attended this year. All the stalls were busy from start to finish – our behind-the-scenes tours sold out incredibly quickly, and there were nearly a thousand customers who went through the bus wash!
“People had their names on the front of a bus, sat in the driver’s seats of our bus rainbow and played our fun games.
“There were vintage buses on display, as was our new electric demonstrator bus provided by Alexander Dennis and the Climate Stripes bus developed with the University of Reading to showcase our commitment to lowering our emissions and carbon footprint.
“We would also like to give a special thanks to our sponsors, Alexander Dennis, Ticketer, Dawson Group, R2P, EPM Omnibus, Michelin, Personal Group, Freeway and Powerfleet.
“Their contributions meant that we were able to cover much of the operating costs of the day and give as much money to charity as possible– they allowed the day to be an even bigger success than before.”
