Nottingham tram ‘comes of age’ as it celebrates 18th birthday and announces winner of Community Hero naming competition

The Nottingham tram ‘comes of age’ this week as it celebrates its 18th birthday, and to help mark the occasion, NET and the Nottingham Post have announced the winners of a Community Hero tram naming competition to recognise some of the ‘unsung heroes’ of Nottinghamshire.

All of Nottingham’s trams carry the names of the great and good from Nottingham, from Brian Clough and Robin Hood to Vicky McClure, but to mark the tram’s 18th birthday and to also recognise the challenging times of recent years, NET and the Nottingham Post wanted to honour the ‘unsung heroes’ that have made a real difference within their local community.

The Nottingham Post launched the competition to a public vote in January, attracting hundreds of nominations that were discussed by a judging panel including Nottingham legend Sir Martyn Poliakoff,

Nadia Whittome MP, and Nottingham Post editor Natalie Fahy. With so many strong contenders, the judges decided to select two winners who will jointly have a tram named after them in the coming weeks:

Benjamin Rosser - As the founder of The Pythian Club set up to support and empower young people across Nottingham, former police officer Benjamin Rosser was nominated for his “selfless, inspiring and frankly amazing work for the Nottingham community”.

Bill Chambers - Bill Chambers was nominated as “a great role model for so many young people over the years” having spent over 50 years as a football coach in the inner-city area of St Ann's, picking up many awards for his dedication but remaining “such a humble man”.

Two runners-up and one other ‘Special Commendation’ were also recognised by the panel for their huge contribution to Nottingham:

- Karl White – known to many as ‘Mr Meadows’ for over 30 years’ work as a community leader in The Meadows community, Karl White sadly passed away last year. The judges selected Karl for a ‘Special Commendation’ with plans to honour him with a tram stop memorial.

Nad Grill - owners of Nottingham takeaway ‘Nad Grill’, Nad and Roxy Shahzad were recognised for their tireless work in starting a foodbank and charity during the pandemic.

Bal Bansal - Bal Bansal was recognised for his work as a respected councillor and for his help in running the ‘Guru Nanak’s Mission’ in Nottingham providing hot food for the homeless.

Tramlink CEO Tim Hesketh said:

“Our 18th birthday is a chance to not only celebrate the vital role of the tram in keeping Nottingham moving, but to also say thanks to the millions of passengers, businesses and key partners that have supported us over the past 18 years.

“The last 2 years in particular have shone a light on the remarkable resilience, compassion and community-spirit of Nottingham and its residents, so we are delighted to announce the winners of the Community Hero naming competition, recognising some true unsung heroes. Congratulations
to Benjamin Rosser and Bill Chambers who are worthy winners for their huge contribution to Nottingham - we look forward to seeing your names on our trams shortly!”

Joining the Community Hero tram judging panel was University of Nottingham Professor and YouTube science hero, Sir Martyn Poliakoff, who also had a Nottingham tram named in his honour last year.

Speaking of his role in the judging panel, Professor Poliakoff said: "I had the honour and pleasure of being part of the judging panel and I was amazed by the number of Local Heroes who were named. How wonderful to have so many selfless and deserving people in our City. I congratulate the winners and say to all of those nominated that it is a privilege to live in the same City as you."

The tram’s 18-year journey so far Over the last 18 years, the tram has grown to become a Nottingham icon and a central part of city life for millions of passengers who live, work and study by tram every year. Some of the key milestones in the tram’s history over the last 18 years include:

- 2004: 18 years ago this month, the new Nottingham tram network first opened to passengers, seeing trams return to the city for the first time in 68 years since the closure of the original ‘Nottingham Corporation Tramways’ in 1936.

- 2009: just five years after being opened, the tram picked up its 50 millionth passenger, showing how quickly Nottingham has taken the tram to its heart

- 2012: building on the early success of the tram, work began to extend the network

- 2015: phase 2 of the tram network officially opened, creating an additional 28 stops and 17.5km of track to connect even more communities

- 2017: the Sir Peter Mansfield bridge opened, providing a direct link from the tram stop to QMC hospital. Nottingham is the only tram network in Europe to serve a hospital

- 2019: the innovative NETGO! app is launched, described as a “game-changer” to make travel cheaper, quicker and easier for customers.

- 2020-21: during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tram offers a lifeline for Nottingham, helping to keep residents, businesses and key workers moving

- 2021: pupils from Alderman Pounder school are announced as the first ever ‘Trambassadors’ to help the tram to work even more closely with schools and local children.

The announcement forms part of NET’s new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report setting out how the tram will continue supporting local communities, customers, businesses and the environment.

- 2022: NET celebrates its 18th birthday with two new Community Heroes announced to have trams named after them.