At Go North West, we pride ourselves in supporting many areas of the community. From volunteer days and to environmental initiatives, all the way to school and young people engagement, we have a range of opportunities available for many local organisations.
So far, we have developed relationships with 30 schools in the Tameside, Bolton or Wigan community, as well as a partnership with BLGC – a youth club located in the heart of Bolton. Through these relationships, we have delivered a range of engagement, including:
- How to Get a Bus Workshops
- Transferable Skills Workshop (Primary and Secondary)
- Speed Networking
- Career Days
- Mock Interviews
- CV Workshop
- Safety Talks
- Career Talks
In addition to engagement, we offer short placements and T Level placements. We have developed a partnership with Bolton College, who have aided us in placing 13 students within our engineering department in the last year for a 30 hour placement, as well as one T Level student who has now successfully secured an apprenticeship directly after College due to their knowledge and experience gained. In total, we have facilitated over 20 weeks of placements, as well as three T Level students in two different departments.
Hear from one of our placement students;
“For 6 weeks, I worked as a social value assistant at GNW , and my experience was amazing! Despite everyone’s busy schedules every single person always took the time to make me feel welcome, show me the ropes and were so supportive in all aspects. I was given so many opportunities to be involved, from working alongside recruitment days, helping present at social value events and was even invited to the Go-Ahead headquarters!
My time at GNW was such great insight into the transport industry, and it helped support my university studies and future career trajectory immensely. Definitely recommend for anyone and everyone wanting to gain insights in the industry, or even just in general – they offered insights into HR, Management, Social Value and much more.”.
Empowering SEN Children Through Travel Confidence
We recently delivered a specially designed workshop at Bolton Lads and Girls Club (BLGC) for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), aged 8 to 18, aimed at building confidence and independence when using public transport.
Held in a safe and supportive environment, the session gave participants the chance to:
- Learn how to catch a bus and stay safe while travelling
- Ask questions and explore a double-decker bus
- Sit in the driver’s seat for photos and take home a Go North West hi-vis vest
The workshop was fun, interactive, and hands-on—creating a positive first experience of bus travel. Our goal was to promote independent travel skills, reduce barriers to public transport, and encourage sustainable travel choices.
Bringing Fun and Confidence to Bus Travel at BLGC
We hosted a fun and engaging Bus Tombola event at Bolton Lads and Girls Club (BLGC), designed to create a positive and welcoming experience around bus travel—especially for children who may find it intimidating. The tombola gave children the chance to win exciting prizes, and all money raised went towards providing meals for children who attend BLGC. The children also got the opportunity to search for hidden toys on the top deck and take photos in the driver’s seat.
The aim of this initiative went beyond fun and games but aimed to build familiarity with buses in a relaxed and enjoyable setting. Building positive experiences and memories on buses is important to help reduce anxiety and promote confidence in using public transport, therefore supporting our wider aim of promoting independent, sustainable travel amongst children and young people.