[P]romotion-chasing Carlisle United are bidding to reach Wembley over the next seven days – but the Blues’ official coach supplier Reays has already won a place there.
The Wigton-based bus and coach operator has been chosen as a finalist in the 2017 National Family Business Awards which will take place at Wembley football stadium on July 15.
Reays has been driving Carlisle’s players to every away game this season and is hoping to take them to the home of football for the League Two play-off final on Sunday May 28.
The family-run firm will on the road again with United and their Blue Army of supporters to Exeter next Thursday evening for the second leg of their play-off semi-final (7.45pm kick off). The first leg takes place at Brunton Park this Sunday (6.30pm).
“We are thrilled to have booked our place at Wembley and now we are hoping that Keith Curle and his team can join us there,” said Chris Reay, managing director of Reays. “Obviously we’ll be cheering them on in both games against Exeter and hopefully at Wembley too,” he added.
Reays has been chosen to represent the north west at the National Family Business Awards at Wembley where regional winners and national champions will be crowned at a grand awards ceremony. Now in their eighth year, the awards celebrate the achievements of Britain and Ireland’s three million family-owned businesses and the entrepreneurs who lead them.
Awards director Amalia Brightley-Gillott said: “Every year we are blown away by the variety and calibre of family businesses who enter the awards. Few people realise that every time they visit their local hairdresser, stay in a boutique hotel or buy cheese in the supermarket they are supporting passionate, dedicated families who have set up in business together. These awards are our chance to say ‘thank you’ and give recognition for their contribution.”
Reays was founded in Cumbria in 1985 by Chris’s father Walter who started running a single minibus to take his local pub’s darts and dominoes teams to away matches. Reays now employs 140 people and operates more than 90 vehicles. It has one of the biggest fleets of luxury coaches in the North of England and runs the award-winning City Hopper bus network in Carlisle and Sellafield’s staff park-and-ride facility.
Chris added: “We are incredibly proud to represent Cumbria and the North West at the national awards. Since I took the business over from my father, I have been working hard to grow it and provide more jobs for local people.”
