Georgie makes bus passengers smile

Saturday 05 October 2019

Just over two years after her death, Georgie Le Prevost is still bringing smiles to people's faces through the charity set up by her parents in her memory.

Yesterday, on World Smile Day, the Smile for Georgie Foundation joined forces with CT Plus, to ensure everyone using Guernsey's busiest bus route had a reason to grin.

The charity funded free bus travel for everyone getting on the number 41, which is the most popular route CT Plus runs in Guernsey, connecting St Peter Port with the west coast, through busy roads including the Grange and the Rohais. 

The usual £1 fee was being waived with drivers having to repeatedly explain this to surprised passengers.

Jenny Le Prevost, Georgie’s mother, said: “Kindness is a universal language and one that Georgie spoke fluently.

“Anyone who knew her remembers the bright smile she had for everyone and we hope that we managed to spread those smiles across Guernsey yesterday.

“Public transport is a positive way in which we can also be kind to our island, so enabling islanders to travel on the bus for free for the day is a small gesture and an act of kindness which Georgie would wholeheartedly support.

“We’d like to thank CT Plus for their support in organising the logistics and for working with us to make this possible.”

Pictured: The Smile for Georgie logo is on the back of the popular 41 bus. 

The Smile for Georgie Foundation was officially registered last year with the purpose of making a difference and bringing smiles to the people of Guernsey through small acts of kindness.

Gerorgie's father, Andre Le Prevost, headed for the Albany bus terminus himself yesterday morning, to see the 41 departing with smiling passengers on board.

He said making people smile has helped Georgie's family look positively at life themselves. 

"When we launched the charity we set out to put a positive spin on things, and the best way we felt we could do that was to emulate Georgie's personality, and she always had a smile for everybody, so we felt that was the right way to go and to have a reliable and broad remit which is what the charity has, and so here we are today two years on, hopefully doing some nice things in the community."

Pictured l-r: Jon Ozanne, CT Plus, and Andre Le Prevost. 

Kevin Jackman from CT Plus added: “Smile for Georgie is a wonderful initiative spreading joy out of a tragic situation.

“We’re thrilled to be involved and to have partnered with the Charity to provide free transport on one of our busiest routes. 

“We hope the kind offer provided a great start to the day for our regular commuters and put a spring in the step of all those who used route 41.”

Mr Le Prevost thanked CT Plus for all of its support.

"We do appreciate the support of CT Plus who have partnered with us this year, and they've been very generous in what they've done with regards to putting this advert on the back of the bus, and its stunning, and it's amazing how many people in the island have picked up on it, and actually think we've got more than one advert because they keep seeing it going around and it's memorable, which is absolutely fantastic for us and full credit to CT Plus."

Pictured top: Georgie Le Prevost, who died in a car accident in 2017.