Hucknall and Bulwell tram celebrating 20th birthday with 20 acts of kindness campagin

And to celebrate, the network is treating tram users to a whole year of surprises and treats.

NET kick-started the celebrations and its ‘20 acts of kindness’ campaign by treating anyone who shared its birthday date of March 9 to a special birthday gift and group photo.

In attendance was David Nicholson-Cole who not only shares his birthday with Nottingham’s trams but was one of the trams’ first ever passengers and has used them for his travels since they first launched.

He was joined by Dr Fouad Al-Dairi, a retired doctor and regular tram user who also shares his birthday with NET and used to work at Queen’s Medical Centre.

For those who weren’t able to attend, NET is offering another chance to bag some birthday goodies to the first 20 people who share its birthday date who get in touch with them via email at email [email protected] with proof of their birthday to be eligible for the gift.

The first 20 people to get in touch will receive the treat, which is available on a first come, first serve basis.

Bids must be submitted by 5pm on Friday, March 22.

Over the coming 12 months, in a bid to say thank you and give back to the people of Nottingham, NET will be revealing even more ‘surprise and delight’ moments which include giveaways, gifts, charity donations and more, as well as a silent auction.

During the auction members of the public are invited to bid to win one of five limited-edition goody bags, with all proceeds raised donated to NET’s charity of the year, Nottingham Central Women's Aid.

To take part in the silent auction, bidders must email [email protected] with their full name, their highest bid, email address and phone number.

Alison Sweeney, head of marketing at NET, said: “NET has been proud to serve the people of Nottingham since 2004 where over the past two decades we’ve helped to connect family and friends across the city and beyond.

"Through a consistent offering of sustainable, affordable and convenient travel, the network has become an integral part of Nottingham life and the city’s infrastructure.

“As we celebrate this very special milestone, we want to thank all those who have supported NET over the years, whether you use the tram every day, monthly or for special occasions.

"And, we’re excited to do that through our 20 acts of kindness campaign.

"It was great to meet people from across the city who share our birthday as they joined us to help commemorate our anniversary.

"However, we’ve got more exciting treats to come.

“Keep your eyes peeled for even more surprises over the coming months.”

Although Nottinghams’s tram network as it’s known today was launched in 2004, trams have been used in Nottingham since as early as 1878, when Nottingham’s first tram was powered by steam.

NET currently employs approximately 300 members of staff and operates a fleet of 37 trams, many of which are named after a range of famous people of Nottingham, the most recent of which was England goalkeeper Mary Earps.