Coach hire firm one step closer to achieving its expansion goal

Runcorn based coach hire providers, Selwyns, are another step closer to achieving their goal of expanding its client base in the North West after completing the takeover of Manchester based coach operators, Haytons, last week.

Selwyns hope to increase their turnover by 50% following the acquisition of Haytons in a bid which is believed to have cost the long running company £4 million. Along with the fleet of 25 coaches, Selwyns also take on 70 new staff, many of which were the original management team at Haytons, including the drivers, senior managers and engineers.

The Manchester based company’s former head quarters in Gorton will continue to operate under the new leadership of Selwyns and will form a separate division of the company.

Having provided private coach hire services throughout the North West for the past 40 years, Selwyns has succeeded in generating a firm client base in the region. While the established company admitted the last few years since the credit crunch hit have been challenging, thanks to their strong client base and position, they’ve been able to take advantage of opportunities that their rivals may have not been able to fulfil most recently.

Selwyns say they have identified a number of opportunities and markets they hope to target over the next 12 months which will be aided following the acquisition of Haytons and the manpower and vehicles the takeover brings with it.

The coach travel company now boasts a work force of 250 people with bases in three different locations including Runcorn, St Helens and now Manchester.

Generous caretaker buys minibus for his school

One caretaker from Anglesey, North Wales, has generously bought a minibus for the school which he has worked at for 25 years. The 15 seater Volkswagen Minibus set Bob Owen back more than £10,000, and he even added a personalised number plate for that finishing touch.

Ysgol Llanfawr were the lucky recipients of the exceptional gift. Mr Owen revealed that even his wife, Myra, chipped in to help pay for the personalised number plate which reads A5 YLF, incorporating the school’s initials and A5 which is the name of the road where the school is situated.

The 61-year-old caretaker, who’s also a local resident, said he was prompted to make the purchase after the government announced plans to introduce tighter restrictions of parents and volunteers who helped out by giving lifts to children to sporting and social events. Under the new regulations, The Vetting and Barring Scheme, which are due to come into force in November, anyone who assists children must first under go a criminal check. Failure to do so will result in a maximum fine of £5,000.

With the introduction of these new rules, Mr Owen feared the children would end up missing out on events, so he decided to take the matter into his own hands. Now with the new Minibus, pupils of Ysgol Llanfawr will be able to take part in all kinds of exciting extra curricular activities.

The head teacher of the school, Gwyn Williams said, “Bob has been here for 25 years and done so much for the school over that time but to buy a bus is amazing. He did not do any fundraising for it and has just bought it out of his own money.”