Nottingham Express Transit Incentro 204 is carrying a new name after it was chosen to become the Community Hero’s Tram for 2025. It has been named in honour of Dr Marcellus Baz BEM, founder and CEO of the charity Switch Up, and charity organisation Pulp Friction who won following nominations from the people of Nottingham.
Whereas previously a Community Hero was named, this year they have gone with both a community hero and a hero organisation. The decision was made after people were asked to give their nominations for people and organisations who had made a positive difference and should be recognised for their work and dedication to the city and its people. After a shortlisting of nominees a panel of judges, including Natalie Fahy, Editor of Nottingham Post, Claire Ward, Mayor of East Midlands Combined Authority and Sarah Turner, NET Managing Director, made the decision on the winners.
Dr Marcellus Baz BEM received a raft of nominations with him being described as a “true Nottingham legend and community leader” who is a “champion of change, an inspiration to all those he meets and bringing hope to our city”. Switch Up works alongside its sister charity Marcellus Baz Foundation to help young people in Nottinghamshire overcome life’s challenges through mentoring, physical activity, counselling, education and employment.
Dr Marcellus Baz BEM said: “I am humbled to be recognised alongside some of Nottingham’s most inspirational public figures who have done extraordinary work in our city and beyond. To have a tram named in my honour, in the city where I was born, raised, and which I deeply love, is incredibly moving. I would like to dedicate this recognition to my late mum, I hope this would make her proud.
“This honour is not just for me, but for everyone who has been part of the fabric of Switch Up – my dedicated team, our volunteers, local businesses and, most importantly, the young people and families we’ve supported through Switch Up and the Marcellus Baz Foundation.”
Pulp Friction is a charity that works with people who have learning disabilities and autism to develop their social independence and work-readiness skills. They were recognised for being a “truly inspirational charity” which “enables people with disabilities to gain employability skills, allowing future employers to focus on their abilities rather than disabilities”.
Jill Carter MBE, Pulp Friction CEO, said: “This is a huge honour for us. The fact that people voted for us is really touching, and that means an awful lot. You often see high profile figures having things named in their honour, so for us, as a small organisation, this is an amazing achievement, and our members are really thrilled.
“Pulp Friction is all about showing that our community shouldn’t be sidelined or forgotten about, making sure that we are seen, visible and to show that we have a contribution to give. Having our name on the tram will really help to highlight that.”
Alison Sweeney, Head of Marketing for NET, added: “Naming our trams is the perfect opportunity to showcase those who have made a meaningful contribution to our city.
“Alongside the many celebrities and household names in our fleet, we’re really excited to unveil our ‘community hero’ tram, which will rotate each year to recognise the people who make a real difference to the lives of people who call Nottingham their home. When we first asked the public to nominate their hero, we were overwhelmed by the response. The fact that we’re putting two names onto our ‘community hero’ tram is testament to how many brilliant and worthy people we have in our city, who work hard to make it a fantastic place to live.
“As a central part of Nottingham’s daily rhythm, our trams carry more than just passengers – they carry stories of a community. That is why it is so important for us to have our trams reflect those who have dedicated their time to giving back.”
204 had previously been named after Erica Beardsmore, who was a great supporter of Nottingham in Bloom and helped to inspire the initiative in Hyson Green. Renaming of trams in Nottingham is nothing new although the original Incentro trams have tended to have kept the same names since original naming, up until now.
The tram is still in an e-on all over advert.