A Sobell House-branded double-decker bus has been unveiled at the Churchill Hospital in Headington, marking the start of a year-long campaign to raise awareness of the Oxfordshire hospice and its services.
The fully wrapped bus is the prize in this year’s Oxford Bus Company’s Brand the Bus competition, which Sobell House won in May after almost 9,000 public votes were cast from 71 entries.
The £100,000 package also includes advertising on Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel vehicles, radio advertising through Get Radio and a partnership with Oxford City Football Club for the 2026/27 season.
The launch comes during Sobell House’s 50th anniversary year. Founded in 1976, the hospice works with people across Oxfordshire living with life-limiting illnesses, providing specialist palliative and end-of-life care alongside support for families and loved ones.
The bus was unveiled during an event at the hospice, where Get Radio broadcast live as it travelled from Oxford Bus Company’s Cowley House depot to the Churchill Hospital. Oxford Bus Company driver Mark Temple, who regularly fundraises for Sobell House, was behind the wheel.
Patients joined Sobell House staff and the hospice’s mascot, Patch, for a musical journey around the Churchill Hospital site and Headington.
Beth Marsh, Director of Fundraising at Sobell House Hospice Charity, said the charity was delighted to see its name and message carried across the county during its 50th anniversary year.
“As a hospice rooted in the local community, we are incredibly proud to see our name and message carried across the county,” she said.
The charity said the campaign would help introduce its work to people who may not yet be familiar with its services, while encouraging wider support for its work over the coming years.
Sobell House jointly funds palliative and end-of-life care services provided by the NHS at the hospice and in the wider community. The organisation has also highlighted the growing importance of awareness as demand for hospice services increases.
Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company, said the bus was intended to raise the profile of Sobell House and its work among people across Oxfordshire.
“The key aim of Brand the Bus is to raise awareness and showcase the great work of our local charities and good causes,” he said.
The unveiling was attended by representatives of Sobell House, Oxford Bus Company, Get Radio and Oxford City FC, as well as Oxford’s Lord Mayor, Chewe Munkonge. Sobell House is one of the Lord Mayor’s two official charities for his term.
The branded double-decker is expected to travel on Oxfordshire’s roads for the next 12 months, bringing the hospice’s 50th anniversary campaign to communities across the county.
