Arriva to team up with Inspired Friendships and local attractions to help elderly combat loneliness

Merseyside’s major bus operator Arriva is set to provide a Friendship Bus for a special pensioners’ day out in a bid to combat loneliness.

Arriva will be teaming up with Inspired Friendships, a befriending service run by later living operator Inspired Villages, to show participants the sights and sounds of Liverpool.

On Monday, May 13, around 30 participants will be boarding an electric bus and taken to Sefton Park’s stunning Victorian Palm House.

The will then be taken to The Beatles Story Museum at the Albert Dock, where they will enjoy some treats at the Fab4 Café, courtesy of Arriva, before rounding off the day with a River Mersey cruise, courtesy of Mersey Ferries.

It will be the first time that Arriva North West has launched Friendship Bus in Liverpool.

The bus operator already successfully provides Friendship Bus transport in the South of England.

Richard Hoare, area director for Arriva North West said:

“Arriva is all about connecting communities and that’s a major reason why we do things like this for Inspired Villages.

“We really hope it’s a great day and everyone enjoys the wonderful attractions we have in Liverpool while making important connections with other people.

“We’re proud to support initiatives like this in the best way we can – with our buses – but we simply would not be able to do it without the help and support from Sefton Park Palm House Preservation Trust, The Beatles Story and Mersey Ferries, so I really must thank them for being so generous.

“It sounds like a really exciting day.”

Inspired Friendships carries out vital work to ensure older people don’t feel isolated. Its members will be travelling from Inspired Villages’ Ledian Gardens village in Kent, and stopping along the way at other villages in Warwickshire and Tattenhall, Cheshire

Wendy Pfeiffer, friendship manager at Inspired Villages said:

“At Inspired Friendships, our commitment is to combat loneliness among our older community members. This partnership with Arriva offers a wonderful trip away for our members and a truly memorable time together where they can experience getting out and about, exploring new places and making new friends.”

Naomi McAllister, marketing and community manager at Sefton Park Palm House Preservation Trust added:

“We are so thrilled to support this initiative and are really looking forward to welcoming the friendship bus. We pride ourselves on offering a calming green space for people to come together.

“It’s great to be part of such a special Liverpool bus route!”

Mary Chadwick, general manager at The Beatles Story said:

“We are proud to support Arriva’s Friendship Bus scheme, and to help them in combating loneliness within Merseyside. Here at The Beatles Story, we know just how powerful music can be in bringing people together.

“By welcoming them to our award-winning exhibition, we hope that all those aboard the Friendship Bus can ‘Come Together’ united in friendship through their love and memories of The Beatles.”