25 July 2008

Dear Colleagues,
In our recent annual review we highlighted the often essential service we provide to the Northern Ireland community. We believe that quality public transport enriches the economy, the environment and the life of the community and is good for sustainable development. We want to be a good neighbour - honest, open, to act with integrity and be responsive in all our dealings with the community. Examples of how we do this are:

• The time we spend meeting with organisations such as the Inclusive Mobility Transport Action Committee, the Consumer Council and many other community, interest or voluntary groups; we tell them what we plan to, we ask what they think and we listen to them.
• Bus services provided under the Government’s Rural Transport Fund – currently 40 Ulsterbus services are supported by this fund and many grow to cover their cost after a period allowing us to extend the network further.
• ‘Meet the managers’ events where the public can come along and ask questions, make suggestions or catch up. People generally feel free to pick up the phone to us or send an email – we try to be as responsive as we can.
• Our many heritage properties are looked after with care and respect – last year we restored the Three Mile Water viaduct on the rail line to Larne.
• Supporting employment initiatives such as Belfast City Council’s women in non traditional sectors (WINS) and of course we run our own ‘have a go day’ where women can try driving a bus as a possible career option.
• Ulster in Bloom which enhances towns, cities and villages throughout Northern Ireland and we include our own stations.
• We support a lot of charity events and activities – the Northern Ireland Children’s Fund for Cancer fun days and the Northern Ireland Hospice walk are just two.
• Many colleagues contribute to our in house charity – ‘Rail Road’ – which helps worthy causes each year and the Translink Community Partnership provides matching funding for money raised by colleagues in charitable work.
• With the Ulster Cancer Foundation we launched a ‘Think Pink’ campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer.
• A new mini bus fleet was purchased for community transport.
• Selected information on our services provided in Polish, Lithuanian and Latvian as there are many people living in Northern Ireland from these countries.

We are all part of our local community and it is useful sometimes to remind ourselves of just how much we all contribute to it.

Catherine Mason, Group Chief Executive