Volunteers aiming to help Tall Ships Hartlepool run smoothly will be able to travel on Stagecoach North-East transport services for free as part of a sponsorship agreement.
Stagecoach is a business community supporter for the summer showpiece that will see the event return to Hartlepool for the second time between July 6-9.
As part of the package, the nationwide transport company, which has served the Hartlepool community since 1994, will hand thousands of travel vouchers over to Hartlepool Borough Council.
The Council will then issue the vouchers to the 400 volunteers on request to commute on the buses to and from Hartlepool Marina over the course of the four-day event, boosting the sustainability drive too.
David Parker, Stagecoach’s Commercial Director, said: “At Stagecoach North-East we are delighted to be sponsoring The Tall Ships 2023 this summer.
“This iconic four-day event is sure to be one to remember, with all kinds of fun and free activities for all the family to enjoy.
“It is important to us to be able to support our local community and this event is an amazing opportunity for Hartlepool, bringing people together from all over the North-East and beyond. We can’t wait to see the Tall Ships in action.”
There are two elements to the agreement. As well as a cash injection that will mean the company’s branding is associated with Tall Ships Hartlepool, the travel vouchers will provide the crucial option for volunteers to have free transport.
David added: “The vouchers will allow various folk associated with the Tall Ships to get to and from this wonderful event. It is not every day something like this comes to town.
“We are a major employer in Hartlepool, and we know the really positive impacts the 2010 Tall Ships event had for the town; this is why we know how beneficial these vouchers can be to those involved.”
The vouchers will provide a day’s travel on Stagecoach services. As the main operator in Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees, that effectively means volunteers from across the Tees Valley can request free travel to and from Tall Ships for the duration of the event.
Catherine Honey, The Ships Event Director, said: “The Stagecoach vouchers are a fantastic option for volunteers.
“Thousands of people will be coming into Hartlepool over the course of the four days during July, so for those giving up their free time to assist with the running of the event to have the use of Stagecoach buses across the region will help enormously.
“We are keen for the event to be as sustainable as possible, so this really does help us in achieving our environmental objectives.
“We already know more than 400 people will be volunteering during Tall Ships and they will be crucial in the overall running of one of the biggest free events in the UK this year.
“Hartlepool is rightly proud to be welcoming the Tall Ships back for the first time since 2010 and it is fantastic to have companies such as Stagecoach, the main transporter operator in the town, keen to get involved by sponsoring the event.”
The Tall Ships event will see the host port of Hartlepool celebrate with music stages, world food markets, fireworks and more, including a fantastic Crew Parade.
*The Tall Ships Races Hartlepool 2023 will run from July 6-9. For more information about the event, including the various ways that people and businesses can get involved, go to www.tallshipshartlepool2023.co.uk