The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) and Plymouth Citybus have unveiled the latest addition to their fleet – a new bus that will raise awareness of the charity’s purpose in supporting the naval family in and around the city. The striking livery depicts the local community and its close association with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines with a new tagline ‘By Your Side’.
The RNRMC bus was unveiled on Monday at HMS Raleigh in Torpoint, the ‘front door’ for entry into the Royal Navy where ratings receive their 10-week Initial Naval Training. From the moment members of the Naval Service join up, either at HMS Raleigh, the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth or the Commando Training Centre, to the end of their lives, RNRMC are by their side.
Visitors to Plymouth Armed Forces Day on Saturday will be able to see the new bus up close within the Royal Navy Village and can find out more about how the RNRMC supports the Naval Service. Other activities include a charity raffle and prize draw and the HMS Oardacious rowing challenge.
Following its launch, the bus will enter circulation and will be seen around Plymouth as part of the Citybus fleet, as well as at special events throughout the year.
Alasdair Akass, Director of Marketing and Fundraising at RNRMC, said:
“We are very excited to have Plymouth Citybus ‘by our side’ and look forward to seeing the RNRMC bus out and about, serving the community of Plymouth. The inspiration behind the design has come from the wonderful mutual support that the city, the Royal Navy and the RNRMC share and the strong community spirit it creates. We want to ensure the naval family, both serving and veteran, know that we are there for them by their side, wherever they are. We are very grateful to Plymouth Citybus for their partnership and would also like to thank HMS Raleigh for helping us unveil the bus.”
Richard Stevens, Managing Director of Plymouth Citybus, said:
“We're proud to be supporting the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and are really pleased to unveil this new bus. The bus will be in service across our network following Armed Forces Day, to help promote the vital work they do to support naval families. Many of our employees are former service personnel, so this is a cause that is close to our hearts here at Citybus.”
