Grand Day Out - Stagecoach partner with Ayr United Football Club to visit Hampden Park

On Tuesday, 18th February 2025, Stagecoach West Scotland, in partnership with Ayr United Football Club (AUFC) filled a bus full of members of the club’s walking football group for a ‘Grand Day Out’ to Hampden Park for a tour of the stadium and to visit the Scottish Football Museum. The group departed from Ayr Bus Station and travelled to Hampden Park.

Upon arrival, they had lunch at the stadium before starting the tour.

The group visited the dressing rooms and warm-up areas before walking down the tunnel where they enjoyed some great views of the pitch. After the tour, the group headed to the Scottish Football Museum to learn more about the history of Scottish football and view some famous pieces of memorabilia. The day out was thoroughly enjoyed by all, with many praising the Stagecoach team for their help throughout the day and looking forward to the next one.

Fiona Doherty, Managing Director of Stagecoach West Scotland said:

“Grand Days Out are a great chance for our team to meet members of the local community, particularly those with concessionary bus passes for whom, the bus can be vital for their independence and improving quality of life. These days are a fantastic chance for us to educate concession bus pass holders while showcasing the range of destinations that can be reached by bus.”

In an ongoing partnership between Stagecoach and AUFC, the company has also supported the club’s ‘Dementia Friendly Walking Football’ pilot sessions, which launched on 20th January. These sessions have been a great success so far, attracting a solid number of participants each week. Both Stagecoach and AUFC hope to 2 continue increasing participation in these sessions and aim to run them in the long term.

Andy McInnes, Walking Football Coordinator at AUFC, said:

“It’s enlightening to see such a positive outcome from a wonderful day for all the attendees. Many members on the tour had not met each other before, and they left having made new friends and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It was a fantastic opportunity for the attendees to learn more about using the bus and the possibilities available to them.”

The ‘Grand Day Out’ initiative is a nationwide campaign by Stagecoach, with teams organising outings across the country. The goal is to encourage older individuals to explore their region by bus, allowing them to visit places they might not usually see.

This initiative aims to combat social isolation and loneliness while improving health and well-being and also shows the advantages of using a concessionary bus pass. Some previous outings have included a boat trip on Derwentwater, hosted by Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire in collaboration with Keswick Launch Co, as well as a visit organised by Stagecoach South Wales for local residents to Rhondda Heritage Park. Throughout the day, the Stagecoach team took the opportunity to speak with the group about the benefits of using their concessionary bus pass.

They were available to answer any questions the group had regarding travel on Stagecoach buses, whether it was about the best route into town or information on their services further afield, such as the X77 service, which runs daily from Ayr Bus Station to Glasgow's Buchanan Bus Station.

The team also informed the group about the Stagecoach Bus App, demonstrating how to use the app to find the nearest services and get service updates on their local routes. Information on the Stagecoach Bus App can be found here: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/stagecoachbusapp