Driver of the Month - June

Roy Shakespeare has been a Ring and Ride driver based at the East Depot since December 1990, prior to that he was employed as a machinist and a farm worker.

On Friday 10th June following a group trip to Becketts Farm, Roy was bringing back a resident from the Yardley Great Trust, when the passenger was suddenly taken very ill. The passengers' breathing was very shallow and she had started to appear blue in colour.

Roy was unable to pull over straight away as he was on a dual carriageway so he assisted Marie Jenkins, Scheme Manager of the Yardley Great Trust, on the telephone via the load speaker to the emergency services.

Once Roy had found a safe place to pull over he remained on the phone to the emergency services until an ambulance arrived whilst the passenger was placed in the recovery position.

The passenger has no memory of the incident but has made a good recovery in hospital since.

The East Birmingham Depot received a letter of thanks from Marie Jenkins for all that Roy had done that day.

Keith Drew, District Manager of the East Birmingham Depot has nominated Roy for driver of the month and has expressed that "Roy is a kind, caring person, who will go out of his way to help colleagues and passengers. We have received numerous thank you telephone calls, from people who he has helped throughout his career with Ring and Ride. He cleans buses at the depot to a high degree, and is always willing to help the depot by staying over or covering sickness/days off".