The Go.B.E Awards 2025

On Friday 12 September, we celebrated our second Go.B.E Awards, the Go North East Brilliant Employee Awards, to celebrate the incredible work and achievements of our colleagues.

This year, we received an amazing 460 nominations, with 61 outstanding colleagues shortlisted across nine award categories. Our annual Go.B.E Awards serve as a powerful reminder of what makes our team at Go North East so special. It was great to come together with staff and their loved ones to celebrate their dedication, passion and contributions.

Every nominee deserves a huge applause, with a special congratulations to this years category winners:

🦸 Customer Hero of the Year 2025: Julie Richardson, Percy Main

For Julie, the best part of her job is the people - she loves going above and beyond for her passengers and takes pride in making their day brighter. 

From taking on extra shifts to support at events, to waking up extra early for her 5am shift to dress in Christmas fancy dress outfits during December, her fun-loving, positive spirit shines through in everything she does. 

Julie’s dedication and enthusiasm are appreciated not just by her colleagues, but by the whole community she serves. 

Congratulations, Julie! 🎉 

🦺 Health and Safety Pioneer Award 2025: Jonathan Douglas, Sunderland

Jonathan has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to his role as health and safety representative over the past couple of years. Arriving at work an hour before his shift every day, Jonathan checks to see if there are any problems or if anyone needs any help. 

Jonathan is extremely observant, making sure to monitor all areas. His proactive approach ensures that any potential hazards are addressed efficiently, ensuring a safe working environment for all. His contributions to creating a positive, safe work environment never go unnoticed. 

Congratulations, Jonathan! 🎉 

🤝🏻 Community Champion 2025: Paula Ullathorne, Consett 

Paula doesn't seek recognition but she absolutely deserves it. With a proud military background, Paula is passionate about supporting veterans. She leads the veterans' breakfast club at Annfield Plain Community Centre and represents Consett depot at the annual Armistice Parade.  

Beyond her work with veterans, Paula has raised over £5,000 and coordinated Christmas gift collections for the charity Clowns in the Sky, which supports children with brain tumours. Her selfless dedication to these causes makes Paula a true community champion.  

Congratulations, Paula! 🎉 

🧰 Apprentice of the Year Award 2025: Charlie Newman, Riverside 

Now in the second year of his apprenticeship, Charlie has already made a big impact. He approaches every task with focus and delivers work to a consistently high standard. 

One of his proudest achievements has been helping to transform a double-decker bus into a calming space for children at Lingey House Primary School - a project that reflects his commitment to the community.  

Day in, day out, Charlie proves himself to be a valued and trusted member of the Riverside engineering team.

Congratulations, Charlie!🎉 

🌱 Newcomer of the Year Award 2025: Shazina Scott, Washington

Shazina’s journey with Go North East is a true success story. Starting out with doubts, she couldn’t even turn the bus on in her first week, she has since grown into a confident, capable driver with outstanding customer service skills. 

Embracing every challenge, Shazina now thrives on the mix of driving and meeting new people each day. 
 
She felt at home at Washington Depot from day one and is proud to be part of the team.  

Congratulations, Shazina!🎉 

🔧 Engineer of the Year 2025: Peter Richardson, Hexham  

Since joining GNE in 2011, Peter has become the backbone of the Hexham depot. With a career that started as an engineering apprentice with another operator, he’s brought years of experience and leadership to his current role as Hexham’s Workshop Manager.  

In a close-knit team of seven, he’s known for his hands-on approach, tackling everything from mechanical and electrical work to bodywork repairs, all while managing office responsibilities and ensuring operations run smoothly. A natural mentor, he’s always ready to support and guide his team. 

Congratulations, Peter! 🎉 

🚌 Driver of the Year 2025: Gavin Aldridge, Riverside 

For Gavin, who has been a bus driver for 23 years, taking care of his passengers is the most important part of his job. He says making sure his passengers arrive safely at their destination is his number one priority. Gavin also works hard to empathise with his passengers and put himself in their shoes if they're having a bad day. 

The care Gavin shows for his passengers has not gone unnoticed by his colleagues. Ann-Marie, his nominator, says Gavin is “a class driver and respected by all”. 

Congratulations, Gavin!🎉 

🥇 The Team of the Year 2025: Engineering, Percy Main

Percy Main’s engineers are a friendly, approachable team who work extremely hard to keep our fleet running smoothly out on the road. They consistently hit performance targets, reducing lost milage to at Percy Main from 0.52% in 2024 to 0.28% this year. 

They’re always happy to share their knowledge with both drivers and apprentices. 

Jason Ferry, who managed the team until his recent move to Riverside describes them as a “supportive, trustworthy team” who are also good friends and often get together outside of work.  

Congratulations to the Engineering Team at Percy Main! 🎉 

⭐ Behind the Scenes Superstar 2025: Leigh Jobey, Saltmeadows

This year, Leigh has really stepped up to support her team through a challenging period. From training new team members to providing vital day-to-day support for our engineers, she’s been at the heart of keeping things running smoothly.  

Leigh loves working with the engineering teams and was flattered to be nominated by colleagues across Go North East. Her dedication, flexibility and can-do attitude make her not just a great administrator a true behind-the-scenes superstar. 

Congratulations, Leigh! 🎉 

The evening was a memorable celebration of the brilliant employees we have here at Go North East, congratulating those who have gone above and beyond in their roles, inspiring us all to continue to strive for excellence.