Sunderland bus driver stars in bold new transport campaign

Lorraine Petch, a bus driver from Sunderland, is one of the stars of Go North East’s Inner Qualities campaign.

The bus operator’s campaign stands up to stereotypes and prejudices faced by women. It’s set to inspire a new generation of women to step into careers behind the wheel and beyond.

Bus driver Lorraine Petch stars in the campaign video and billboard campaign. Her image also features on a specially branded campaign bus which will be on the roads of the North East to inspire women across the region.

Lorraine says: ““I made the career change to bus driving two years ago and I haven’t looked back. I love to help people and what better way than to get people to where they need to be.

“Go North East has really supported me in my journey and recently I’ve trained to become a mentor to new drivers joining the business.”

Inner Qualities launched on Monday 8 September with a powerful message: They say she can’t. We say she can. North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and Newcastle United’s Demi Stokes joined the women behind the campaign at a special launch event at The Catalyst in Newcastle, standing alongside the drivers, engineers, managers and graduates who brought it to life.

Women’s voices, front and centre
What makes Inner Qualities unique is that every part of it, from the concept to the videos and billboards was shaped by the lived experiences of women already working in transport.

They’ve shared what it feels like to face stereotypes, be told to hold back, or expected to behave a certain way, and turned those stories into a rallying call for change.

Doubling the change
Currently, just 10% of bus drivers in the UK are women. Go North East has pledged to double that number, symbolised by two campaign buses: one already filled with the company’s women colleagues, the other waiting to be filled with the women who will join in the years ahead.

The campaign also forms part of Go-Ahead Group’s wider ambition to achieve a 50/50 gender balance across all bus companies by 2035.

Quotes
Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor, said “My vision is for a North East where ambition is met with support, and no one is held back by outdated expectations. With over one million women living and working in our region, we have the potential to shape a fairer, more inclusive future. I’m proud to stand alongside the women making that future a reality.”

Demi Stokes, Newcastle United and former England Lioness, said: "I know what it feels like to be told you can’t - and how powerful it is to prove that you can. That’s why I’m proud to support this campaign. It shows women and girls that their inner qualities, not stereotypes, are what truly matter."

Laura Sharp, Head of Marketing at Go North East, said: "Inner Qualities is unique because it belongs to the women who created it. Their voices, experiences and determination are at the heart of this campaign - showing the next generation that strength and belief matter more than stereotypes."

Join the journey
The journey is only just beginning - and the next chapter belongs to the women who choose to join.

Women interested in driving, engineering, or office-based careers can find out more and apply at gonortheast.co.uk/careers.