York food bank hero John McGall has bus named after him

John McGall, who runs the I am Reusable food bank in Leeman Road, York, was honoured in a ceremony that saw a bus named after him.

Also celebrated was Anne Stamp who works for the Snappy Trust and has spent 30 years dedicating herself to disabled children and their families in the city.

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The competition, which was run by YO1 Radio and First Bus, asked people to write in with the names of people they felt made a substantial contribution to the city of York.

John’s nominee shared their reasons for nominating him, saying: “John puts a lot of effort into the food bank and feeds hundreds, if not thousands, of people on a weekly basis. It doesn’t matter what you want, he goes above and beyond, and also sends a lot to SEN schools – helping families in need of assistance, not just those in poverty.

“He’s a rare find in the world, not many people these days truly care from their hearts like he does. Despite the fact he’s poorly, John does a lot – for him to take all of this on is above any level.

“If more people were like him, the world would be a better place.”

The moment John realised what was going on! (Image: Alice Kavanagh) When the bus arrived, John was ‘gobsmacked’ and thanked the volunteers, saying: “I can’t do all the work I do without my volunteers, friends, family, and the people who support us.

"It’s not just me – this should be dedicated to everyone. Thank you all so much.”

John was also celebrated by York MP and friend, Rachael Maskell, who came to celebrate the bus. She said: “I wasn’t going to miss this, John’s all heart. It’s just so nice to celebrate the people who go the extra mile.”

John Roxburgh, head of operations for First Bus in North & West Yorkshire, said: “First York is serving communities across the city and we understand the important role individuals and groups also play in supporting their local area.

“We wanted to help celebrate the people and organisations who bring communities to life and provide valuable services and that’s why we launched this bus naming campaign. It’s been great to hear from local residents about who they believe should be recognised for the contribution they make to the community.

Everyone was out to celebrate John's bus! (Image: Alice Kavanagh) “Today, we’re revealing the first two people whose names will now appear on our electric buses and be seen on their local routes and throughout York. There will be more community heroes announced in the coming weeks.

“YO1 Radio has been a fabulous partner in getting the message into communities and encouraging local people to nominate their champions.”

Wayne Chadwick, managing director of YO1 Radio, said: “We received literally hundreds of nominations from listeners for what is a truly special gesture on the part of First Bus to recognise those making a real difference in our community.

“The two winners were very worthy recipients and we’ve been delighted to work with the team from First Bus throughout the competition. Today was a very special day for all involved.”