Stagecoach Wigan celebrates its 10th birthday

This month, the bus company is commemorating a decade since it acquired its Wigan Depot in Ashton.

To mark the milestone, the depot is celebrating the staff who help to make it a special place and a vital part of the local community.

It was taken over by Stagecoach in December 2012 and has since played an essential role in the local community, proudly serving over 81.8 million passengers who have travelled over 31.5 million miles over the decade.

Many of Wigan’s employees come from the borough and were introduced to Stagecoach by family members.

Strong family connections run deep throughout the depot, with different generations often working together, building a sense of community within the team.

Mike Gaskell, depot operations manager at Wigan, said: “I’ve only been with Stagecoach Wigan for 12 months but, as someone who was introduced to the industry by my father over 20 years ago, the environment here immediately stood out to me.

“We have a great workforce - the team really create a family atmosphere and they are a true pleasure to manage.”

Father and daughter, Stuart and Hermione Kendrick are an example of generational recruitment, with both currently working at the depot.

Stuart, who joined as a driver almost 40 years ago, inspired his daughter to make a huge career change from her previous role in a local nursery.

Hayley McLean is a third-generation bus driver, having taken inspiration from her grandfather and both parents, who were in the industry.

Hayley met her partner Darren while working at the Sharston depot, and the pair rely on the flexibility at Wigan to allow them to manage family life.

Hayley said: “The flexibility on offer here is brilliant. Sometimes Darren and I are like passing ships, but our work allows us to be there for our little girl and maintain family life.”

Lee Wasnidge, Managing Director at Stagecoach said: “Congratulations to Stagecoach Wigan on its 10th birthday.

"Throughout the last 10 years whole depot team’s hard work, community-minded spirit, family-focused approach and commitment to excellence has allowed us to deliver amazing customer service for all of our customers.

"I look forward to watching the continued success within the region and hopefully, welcoming more great people to the team.”