Brand The Bus 2025 reaches milestone with deadline to enter looming

More than 60 organisations have entered the Brand the Bus charity competition, with just two days left to enter.

Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel are asking people to nominate their favourite good cause with the winning charity to be emblazoned on the outside of a double-decker bus.

This year’s winner will scoop the biggest prize yet with a bumper advertising package worth £100,000.

It includes on-board digital screen advertising, airtime on Get Radio and the status of being Oxford City Football Club’s official charity partner for the 2025-26 season.

Highly commended runners-up will also win advertising packages of on-board digital screen advertising worth £2,000 and £1,000.

This week, the competition broke the 60-entry barrier from local charities and good causes that directly benefit communities in and around Oxfordshire ahead of the deadline to enter on Saturday (1st March).

Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel, said: “The variety and high standard of this year’s submissions has been overwhelming, and it will be a challenging task selecting the overall winner.

"Our Brand the Bus competition never fails to remind us that there are so many good causes doing valuable work across Oxfordshire.

“There’s still time for organisations to enter as it’s a great opportunity to raise their profile and get their key messages out and about on the roads of Oxfordshire.”

Last year a record-breaking 11,000 people voted in the competition before Oxford Hospitals Charity scooped first prize.

Past winners have included SeeSaw, which offers grief support for children and young people, Girl Guiding Oxfordshire, family support organisation Home-Start Oxford, Blue Skye-

Thinking, which supports research into the treatment of childhood brain tumours, and mental health charity Restore.

A public vote opened on New Year’s Day and runs until 1st April. The 10 charities with the highest number of votes will make the shortlist and go before the judging panel.

The winner will be announced in June and the bus with the winning charity’s brand splashed across the outside of the bus is expected to hit the roads of Oxford and surrounding areas in the autumn.

The deadline to enter is Saturday (1st March) at  www.oxfordbus.co.uk/brand-the-bus.