Local pupils help create new bus confidence video

17 July 2026

A new video designed to help people feel more confident using the bus has been launched through a partnership between Brightwayz, Huxlow Academy in Irthlingborough, local transport providers and North Northamptonshire Council.

The three-minute video, How to Catch a Bus, provides practical advice to pupils and for anyone who may be unfamiliar with bus travel, including how to identify the correct bus, what to expect during a journey and how to travel with confidence.

Watch the How to Catch a Bus video on YouTube

Funded through the Department for Transport's Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), North Northamptonshire Council commissioned Brightwayz – a social enterprise that promotes safe, active and sustainable travel – to develop and deliver the project. The project forms part of wider council initiatives to raise awareness of bus services, support service improvements and encourage increased use of public transport.

Ten Year 7 pupil ambassadors from Huxlow Academy played a key role in the project, taking part in filming and helping to shape the content around the questions and concerns many people have when travelling independently or for the first time.

Schools across North Northamptonshire are being encouraged to share the video with pupils ahead of the summer holidays. Its release also comes ahead of free bus travel for children in England during August, providing an opportunity for young people to put the advice into practice and gain confidence using public transport.

This project is a great example of the benefits of partnership working. By bringing together North Northamptonshire Council, Brightwayz, local schools and transport providers, we have created a practical resource that provides straightforward advice to help take away some of that uncertainty and encourage more people to use the bus with confidence.

I'd like to thank the pupils from Huxlow Academy for the enthusiasm and ideas they brought to the project. Their input has helped create a resource that is practical, relatable and useful for young people preparing to travel independently.

Projects like this support our wider ambitions to create healthier, more connected and sustainable communities. Helping people access education, employment, services and leisure opportunities is an important part of our vision for North Northamptonshire, and encouraging greater confidence in public transport has an important role to play in achieving that.Councillor Chris McGiffen, Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets

We know lots of people would like to try the bus but don't have the confidence to do so. This video isn't just for children – it's for anyone who just needs a few up-to-date tips on bus travel, such as how to know your bus is on the way and what to do when you are on it.

Thanks to government funding via North Northamptonshire Council, we have been able to create this high-quality video to address this. It's been great to involve the pupils too.Alison Holland, Projects and Partnerships Director at Brightwayz

To celebrate the launch, the completed video was premiered at Cineworld Rushden Lakes, where pupils, teachers and project partners had the opportunity to watch the finished film together.

Find out more about the project on the Brightwayz website

Watch the How to Catch a Bus video on YouTube

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We encourage schools, youth organisations, community groups and anyone who finds it beneficial, to use and share the video freely to help more people build confidence using public transport.