Local businesses and apprentices support restoration of historic 1975 Leyland Leopard bus

Apprenticeship students from North Lancs Training Group (NLTG) and local businesses have played a key role in breathing new life into a rare piece of local and national history through their work on the exciting Heritage Bus Project, led by the Accrington Heritage Trust.

The project focuses on the restoration of a 1975 Leyland Leopard vintage bus – one of the last known surviving vehicles of its kind in the world.

The restoration has been made possible thanks to a £94,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund following a successful bid by the charity.

Led by experienced NLTG tutors Graham Cornwell and Stuart Gower, students from the upholstery and furniture departments have been at the heart of the restoration.

After receiving the original seats and back panels from the bus, which had been stripped down, it was determined that the materials were no longer fit for use.

In response, the students replaced the components using modern fire-retardant foam, new wooden boards, and fresh upholstery fabric in a vibrant blue and green striped design.

The work has resulted in beautifully reupholstered, custom-made seats that are now set to be installed into the nearly completed vehicle.

NLTG’s contribution also extended to collaboration with local businesses. The Vita Group’s Accrington site, another valued partner, supported the project by donating the foam used in the seat cushions, as well as re-manufacturing key components such as grommets to original specifications.

Other local businesses involved included The Senator Group’s Dave Cropper, who supplied plywood for the seat bases, while the seat back boards were produced by Crown Cabinets in Burnley and their production manager, Jake Gregory, who is a former NLTG Apprentice.

In addition to its physical restoration, the project serves a broader purpose: preserving and promoting the borough’s rich heritage. The bus is being repainted in the colours of the Accrington Pals battalion and will become part of a wider educational initiative that includes a series of heritage videos highlighting the area's history.

Murray Dawson, chair of #AmazingAccrington, said: “We are incredibly grateful to NLTG for their outstanding support and the high level of craftsmanship and volunteer hours that their students have brought to this project. Their work will help preserve a vital piece of Accrington’s heritage for generations to come.”

Stuart Gower, NLTG tutor, said: “This has been an amazing project to be involved in. It is not every day you get to work on something so unique and historically important.

"Our students have loved the opportunity to apply their skills in a real-world setting and contribute to something the whole community can be proud of. We can’t wait to get on this bus!”

Jake Gregory, director and production manager at Crown Cabinets, as well as a former NLTG Apprentice, said: “Stuart approached me about some back panels that were needed for the seating on the project, as we have a CNC machine here and also two current NLTG Apprentices.

“It was a really good project to work on. We received the frame for the bus seat itself, so we had to take the measurements from it, we did test pieces to make sure it fit, we selected a really nice colour to make it match with the theme for the rest of the restoration of the bus.”

Adam Sloan, a CNC Apprentice with NLTG at Crown Cabinets, said: “We cut out, edged and grooved the back boards for the chairs on the bus project, and I really enjoyed being part of it.”

The project nears completion and is expected to be unveiled to the public soon, marking a proud moment for everyone involved and a milestone in local heritage preservation.

You can learn more about NLTG and their Apprenticeships, Traineeships, Commercial Short Courses and Courses for Job Seekers by visiting www.nltg.co.uk or by calling 01254 395 355.