Because of the ready availability of leasing arrangements, these days getting a beautiful new school minibus is less of a special event than it ever used to be.

But that doesn’t mean that the arrival of the new bus should be thought of as everyday.  It is always worth celebrating as something of a publicity event.

Of course, if there is a PR expert working in your school, you’ll have no difficulty in preparing the message announcing that the new minibus is now in use.  But, just in case that is not so, it might be worth noting the points below.

The key issue to remember is that the reason for having a bus is that it brings a benefit to the students in the school in terms of their education.

So with the new bus there will be more visits to historic sites, more away sports matches, more use of the local swimming pool, etc, etc.  It is always a good idea to mention some of the extra visits that the school has in mind.

Additional benefits worth noting are the fact that the bus has all the latest safety features – far beyond the minimum required by law – and is environmentally sound and (through engine efficiency) cheaper to run than its predecessor.

Thus more money goes on education, less on fuel.

However, what you might care to avoid is any reference to students “travelling in style”.  By and large parents want good things for their children, but they also like to see an emphasis on hard work. “Travelling in style” is not what most parents want or expect from school life!

You may also have had the new bus decorated with the school’s logo – and a publicity shot of the bus with the logo showing is always a good idea.

But once again logos and advertising are not really what parents are concerned about – any more than they are worried about the comfort of the ride.

All of which explains why it is normally not a good idea to agree to the leasing company putting out its own press release about your new minibus to the local media.  Benchmark Leasing will, of course, supply a press release for you to use if you would like us to, but you’ll have the final say on the way it is written.

Just as you will take great care when choosing the right minibus for your school, so it is always worthwhile ensuring that no one else is using your leasing arrangements as a chance for their own publicity.

Should you be looking for a new minibus for your school you can find more information about our leasing options by clicking here.

Alternatively please do call us on 01753 859 944 or email us at Minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk