Donated buses find new home at Westcott Primary School

WESTCOTT Primary School in Hull has this week received two decommissioned buses from local bus company East Yorkshire, with each set to be turned into education hubs.

The buses had originally been loaned to Humber Street Sesh, one of the UK’s biggest unsigned emerging talent festivals, who used them as part of their growing graffiti programme, with both being painted by world-class artists during the festival.

Now creating a striking visual presence in the playground of Westcott Primary School, the buses will be renovated by the school’s PTA group, Friends of Westcott. The first will be used as a school library to give the children a quiet space to enjoy reading, while plans for the second are still being considered.

Commenting on the donation of the buses, Ben Gilligan, Area Director for East Yorkshire, said: “We are delighted to be supporting our local community in this way, working directly with a local primary school to encourage reading and learning in a new and interesting environment.

“The vehicles are no longer needed in our fleet and have been replaced by brand new, ultra-low emission buses which are already on the road, improving our air quality. By re-using the old buses, the vehicles will no longer be scrapped, further reducing the impact on the environment.”

Headteacher at Westcott Primary School, Deborah Tague, commented: “I had seen the idea of using a bus as a library many years ago with a converted London bus, so when we spoke with East Yorkshire about the possibility of using their decommissioned buses, we were excited about the opportunities this would create for our children. We’re also exploring options of adding outside seating areas to create a wonderful space for learning.”

The artwork on the buses was created by Yorkshire-based artists Marcus Method, ZuluTrik9 and Sergej Komlov, who used different styles and themes to get their ideas across. Marcus and ZuluTrik9’s graffiti art showcased bright colours and patterns as well as a highly detailed piece inspired by the New York metro system. Sergej used photography to create patterns covering one side in colours and shapes taken from buildings across the city.

Deborah Tague added, “The fact these buses are adorned with such fantastic works of art links really well into projects our children are working on in school. They have been creating their own graffiti artwork, including looking at styles of work from the artist El Seed who emphasises messages of peace and tolerance. We are looking at options to add the children’s work to the inside of the buses to continue the graffiti theme.”

Friends of Westcott are now starting the process of getting the buses ready for day-to-day use and are appealing to local businesses who can offer support with supplies and materials which can be used in the renovations. Anyonewishing to offer support or find out more can contact friendsofwestcott@outlook.com