PRESS RELEASE

FIRST UNVEILS EYE-CATCHING HOMECOMING SCOTLAND BUSES

5 February 2009

FirstGroup, the UK’s largest transport operator, welcomed the First Minister on board one of its buses today to help promote the Homecoming Scotland campaign.

First has donated full size adverts on three of its double-decker buses advertising Homecoming Scotland 2009, a commercial value of over £70,000.  Residents and visitors to Scotland’s three largest cities, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen will see the eye-catching buses on a regular basis as they operate services on routes across the cities throughout 2009.  The purpose is to raise awareness of the Homecoming campaign and events on offer in Scotland in 2009.

The Rt Hon Alex Salmond MP MSP, First Minister of Scotland, inspected the Homecoming Scotland bus today before it enters service in Edinburgh and the surrounding area tomorrow.

Avril Gill, FirstGroup’s Marketing Manager (Group Brand), greeted the First Minister and outlined the company’s pride in supporting the Homecoming campaign.  “Although FirstGroup is now a global company, our roots are very much here in Scotland.  Homecoming Scotland is a fantastic initiative and we are pleased to be able to support the campaign by providing these striking bus adverts. 2009 will be a really exciting year for Scotland and we are delighted to be lending our support to Homecoming in such a visible way."

The First Minister said:  “Homecoming 2009 promises to be the biggest celebration of Scottish culture, heritage and innovation yet, and I am delighted that FirstGroup will operate Homecoming branded buses on routes in three of Scotland’s largest cities.

“Established in Aberdeen, FirstGroup is one of Scotland’s most successful companies and I welcome all its efforts to help promote this special year of celebration.

“The eye-catching design of these buses will help communicate our Homecoming message to hundreds of thousands of visitors and residents in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen throughout 2009.

“Corporate engagement is a very important aspect of Homecoming and it is great that FirstGroup is the latest company to develop a special project to support and promote what is a special year for Scotland.”

Marie Christie, Project Director, Homecoming Scotland 2009, said: “FirstGroup is one of the largest and most successful Scottish companies.  As a FTSE 100 organisation, having First on board is a real coup for our campaign.  I am very grateful for its generous support and am thoroughly looking forward to seeing the Homecoming Scotland buses out on the streets – they are sure to be a talking point for locals and visitors alike.”

With some 100,000 employees in North America, First will be promoting the campaign on the websites of its North American companies.  First is also promoting the campaign through its Scottish companies’ websites including First ScotRail’s site.  In addition, First is supporting the ‘As Others See Us’ photography exhibition which will be touring the country as part of the Homecoming campaign.  First’s Chief Executive, Sir Moir Lockhead, features in the exhibition.

Homecoming Scotland 2009 has been organised to coincide with the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth and aims to attract people with Scottish roots from around the world to return home.
 

ENDS

For any further information, please contact Denise Robertson, First UK Bus PR Manager on 07894 785144 or denise.robertson@firstgroup.com

• NOTES TO EDITORS:
  FirstGroup plc is the world’s leading transport company with annualised revenues of some £6 billion. We employ approximately 137,000 staff throughout the UK and North America and transport some 2.5 billion passengers a year.
• UK Bus
  The Group is Britain’s largest bus operator running more than one in five of all local bus services. A fleet of nearly 9,000 buses carries approximately 3 million passengers a day in more than 40 major towns and cities.
• UK Rail
  The Group operates one quarter of the UK passenger rail network, with a balanced portfolio of intercity, commuter and regional services, carrying over 280m passengers per annum.
• The Group is the UK’s largest rail operator with four passenger franchises - First Capital Connect, First Great Western, First ScotRail and First TransPennine Express - and one open access operator, Hull Trains. 
• The Group operates rail freight services through First GBRf and operates the Croydon Tramlink network on behalf of Transport for London carrying over 26 million passengers a year.
• North America
  In North America the Group has four operating divisions: Yellow School Buses (First Student), Transit Contracting and Management Services (First Transit), Vehicle Fleet Maintenance and Support Services (First Services) and intercity coach services (Greyhound). Headquartered in Cincinnati, FirstGroup America Inc. operates across the US and Canada.
• Europe
  In mainland Europe we operate some 150 buses in south west Germany and the Øresund rail franchise, in partnership with DSB, which includes services in and between Denmark and Sweden.

Homecoming Scotland 2009

1. Homecoming Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government and is managed by EventScotland the national events agency in partnership with VisitScotland, the country’s national tourism agency.
2. Homecoming Scotland 2009 aims to engage Scots at home as well as motivate people of Scottish descent and those who simply love Scotland, to take part in an inspirational celebration of our culture, heritage and some of the many great contributions Scotland has given to the world.
3. 2009 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns, with the programme's design guided by Scotland's unique position as the home of Burns himself, Golf, Whisky, Great Minds and Innovations, and Scotland’s culture and heritage which lives on at home and through Scotland’s global family.
4. The budget for Homecoming is £5 million and the target is for an 8 to 1 return on investment i.e. £40 million revenue additionality.
5. For more information on Homecoming Scotland please visit:  www.homecomingscotland2009.com

The image of the three pipers featured on the bus is taken from a photograph of the Arbroath Royal British Legion Scotland Pipe Band during the 2005 World Pipe Band Championships.