This vintage vehicle, a 1975 Leyland Leopard, is one of the last known surviving buses of its type in the world, and the only one painted in the original colours of the Accrington Pals Battalion.

The bus is in a poor state of repair and requires a complete refurbishment. However, it is simply unthinkable to many people that this visual link with history is lost forever because it represents the proud identity of the town.

The bus is owned by local charity Accrington Heritage Trust, and the plan is to restore it to a modern safety standard, to be available to tour local historic sites and for use by schools and other local organisations. Used in this way the bus will be a living example of the transport heritage of the local community and a symbol of civic pride.

The Trust had been in the latter stages of a bid for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, but the availability of such grants for new projects has been curtailed by the Covid-19 restrictions, and so we are appealing for help now for a more modest project simply to get the bus into a roadworthy condition. Once on the road this will give us the opportunity to use it for the benefit of the community and at the same time to look for funding opportunities for a full restoration.

Any donation however small will be welcome.