Here's To Our Heroes: Community Champions Reveal Their Honourary Trams.

Dr Marcellus Baz BEM, founder and CEO of the charity Switch Up, and charity organisation Pulp Friction have unveiled a tram named in their honour, as they are crowned Nottingham Express Transit’s (NET) 2025 community heroes.

Both have been celebrated for their commitment to making a lasting impact on the lives of those across Nottingham, through acts of kindness, leading change, activism, or demonstrating an exemplary commitment to the city.

The people of Nottingham were asked to nominate the person or charity they felt had made a positive difference and should be recognised for their work and dedication to the city and its people. The nominees were then shortlisted and put to a panel of judges which included Natalie Fahy, editor of Nottingham Post, Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands combined county authority and Sarah Turner, NET managing director. After much deliberation, the panel selected Dr Marcellus Baz BEM as the community hero and Pulp Friction as the hero organisation, with the tram set to feature both names for the next twelve months.

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.”

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.”

Switch Up, which works alongside its sister charity Marcellus Baz Foundation, helps young people in Nottinghamshire to overcome life’s challenges through mentoring, physical activity, counselling, education and employment.  

Pulp Friction is a charity that works with people who have learning disabilities and autism to develop their social independence and work-readiness skills. Connecting with enterprises across Nottinghamshire and beyond, Pulp Friction has created a positive network of vital support for the community.

Both Dr Marcellus Baz BEM and Pulp Friction received a raft of nominations. Dr Marcellus Baz was 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.” Pulp Friction was 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.”

Dr Marcellus Baz BEM and Pulp Friction will join many other notable Nottingham people who have also had a tram named after them, including actress and Switch Up patron Vicky McClure, cricketer Stuart Broad, football star Mary Earps, and fashion icon Paul Smith. 

Alison Sweeney, head of marketing at NET, said: “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.”

 For more information on NET’s namesake trams, go to https://www.thetram.net/tram-names

 Find NET on social media at: @nettram (Instagram) @NETTram (X) @nottinghamtram (TikTok)