One-Eighty named Oxford City charity of choice

Oxford City FC are proud to be working alongside a charity which supports young people, bridging the gap between mental health and education, has come face-to-face with a bus emblazoned with its cause. 

One-Eighty is the 2025 winner of the Brand the Bus competition run by Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel, the seventh edition of the contest. 

The charity has had its branding decorated across one of Oxford Bus Company’s electric double-decker buses after winning this year’s competition, which attracted a record number of entries and public votes. 

One-Eighty is the recipient of a £100,000 advertising package which includes a year-long bus wrap, plus free advertising on board Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel vehicles, and radio advertising on county station Get Radio. 

The winning package, after more than 12,000 votes were cast, also includes being named Oxford City Football Club’s charity of choice for the 2025/26 season. 

Susie Besant, founder and CEO at One-Eighty, said: “What an exciting and proud opportunity this is for One-Eighty. 

“It is so vital for us to highlight the immense needs young people in our county are facing and share that we exist as a passionate and professional organisation as part of the solution. 

“We want to take this opportunity to thank every single person who voted for One-Eighty and who has continued to follow our journey as we strive to seek more support to deliver services which turn young lives around. We are looking forward to our huge orange bus being on Oxfordshire’s roads.”

Founded in 2011, One-Eighty works across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire by empowering children and young people struggling with mental health, neurodiversity or SEND challenges to re-engage with education through one-to-one interventions, preventative mental health projects and professional training and supervision. 

Demand for services has grown rapidly in recent years, with referrals tripling since 2019. One-Eighty delivers more than 2,000 one-to-one sessions annually with a 97 per cent success rate in achieving outcomes for young people. 

Chris Williams, head of Partnerships at Oxford City FC, added: “We’re so proud to have been invited onto the judging panel and to review all the wonderful applications. 

“It was fantastic to see all the incredible work which One-Eighty does, and we’ve been working alongside them since, as they match up with many of our core values. We are delighted that they will be our special guests on December 6th for our big Christmas game when they can meet fans and spread the word about the amazing work they do.” 

Luke Marion, Managing Director at Oxford Bus Company, said: “This stage of the Brand the Bus journey always fills me with great pride, when the winners get to see the vehicle with their images and logos on. 

“We received a record number of entries, therefore selecting a winner was more challenging than ever before. 

“One-Eighty presented a powerful submission, and the charity’s work to support children and address mental health challenges is something which struck a chord with our team. We look forward helping the charity raise its profile and awareness of the help if provides to those who need it.”