Birmingham Central garage drivers raise nearly £4k for charity

Find out about our drivers' big charity walk

Bighearted drivers from our Birmingham Central (BC) garage embarked on a challenging charity walk recently, to help raise funds for the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria earlier this year.

The drivers, including Shahqoor Ali Abu Siddiq, Shazad Miah, Mohammed Islam, Aqeel Hussain, Kasid Ali, Safraz Hussain, Syed Mehdi, Urfan Hussain, Kasim Siddique, Kabir Ahmed, Mohammed Usman, as well as Operational Supervisor Abdul Hamid, walked together to raise an impressive £4,000 for One Nation, who will use the funds to help provide relief and support for those displaced or injured by the earthquake. They were also joined by driver Shoiab Nasser, who drove alongside the group providing much-needed refreshments and acting as their first aid respondent.

Starting at Birmingham Central garage, the team walked through Tyseley, Acocks Green, Olton, and Elmdon Heath before ultimately arriving at the village of Catherine-de-Barnes. Their walk concluded near the junction of James Dawson Drive on Birmingham Rd, where they spotted the "Welcome to Coventry Highway" sign before completing their journey at our Coventry garage.

The team covered an impressive distance of approximately 20 miles in a commendable time of six hours, starting at 7:30am and concluding at 1:30pm.

Abdul Hamid, participant and Operations Supervisor at BC said: "Everyone involved had a great time. Everyone had their own reasons as to why they wanted to take part in the walk - some for religious reasons, some because they felt they were up for a challenge – but what was really nice is that everyone came together in community spirit for a good cause.

"Through spending time together and having the opportunity to talk and find out more about each other, the walk has really boosted morale and helped us forge lasting friendships."

When asked about the highs and lows of the walk, Abdul added: “Walking 20 miles was no easy task but we kept each other motivated along the way. Some of the highs included discovering new places and meeting locals along the way. As for the challenges, we came to a road closure at Solihull Road which scuppered our route slightly. Thankfully, as bus drivers, we’re well equipped to deal with unexpected road closures so we soon worked out the best diversion to get us back on track!”

Joe Khan, Operations Manager at Birmingham Central, said: “I'm extremely proud of everyone who participated in the walk and the efforts they have made to raise such an amazing amount for charity. As the OM for BC, it's been heart-warming to see so many members of our team come together with such unity to support those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Well done guys.”

Well done to all the drivers who took part in this fantastic fundraiser.