Railway Children

On Sunday, 6th September at 07:54 our BBC Radio 4 Appeal will go live. Centred around our work in Tanzania, our appeal will be read by journalist and broadcaster Sangita Myska who was born in the country. She tells the story of Juma* who, from the age of 11, spent seven years on the streets, subjected to violence, abuse, hunger and nowhere safe to turn. His life changed when he met our Railway Children Outreach Worker and discovered the skills, support and self-belief he needed to turn his life around. In a country where over 60% of the population are under 25 and the youth unemployment rate hovers at around 19%, Sangita has seen, firsthand, the resilience, determination and hope young people like Juma personify – and how they can pass that hope onto others. We hope you’ll tune in to hear Sangita present our BBC Radio 4 Appeal at 07.54 on Sunday, 6th September. But, if you miss it, the appeal will be repeated later that day at 21.25. And, thanks to a generous supporter, every donation up to a total of £25,000 will be doubled – meaning your gift will have even more impact on young lives. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dbaBbzmg

Over the 18 months, I have had the pleasure of leading the development of a piece of guidance for transport operating companies, focused on their response to missing and exploited people. This guidance, covering both children, adults and the families of missing people, has already seen success in its pilot phase on the Elizabeth Line, and we are now looking forward to a national rollout by the end of 2026. It has been fantastic to work closely with colleagues from Missing People, British Transport Police, Railway Children and GTS, who operate the Elizabeth Line on behalf of Transport for London on this project, and their expertise is what makes this guidance so successful. I am excited to see the impact this guidance has in the transport industry once it is officially launched, so watch this space! Sultana Pasha David Gallagher Josie Allan Joe Clay

Join Serco and guests from the rail industry for their golf day on Thursday, 8th October, in the picturesque grounds of Breadnell Priory in Derbyshire. It is set to be a fantastic day, and all profits will help support vulnerable children and young people found on transport networks in the UK, India and Tanzania. The day will include a team golf competition, on-course challenges, food and refreshments and networking opportunities with professionals from the rail industry. 💚🏌️♂️ Event details: 🗓️ Date: Thursday 8th October 2026 📌 Location: Breadsall Priory Country Club Moor Road Morley DE7 6DL 🤝 Team Entry: £300 per team, or £100 per person ⛳ Format: Shotgun start with 18 teams To register your place click here: https://lnkd.in/eUiVnNKf or email Jessica.Melrose@serco.com

Our annual 5-a-side tournament in London is taking place on Thursday 10th September, lots of teams have registered but we have a few spaces left. Are you interested in joining us for a great day of competitions and networking whilst raising vital funds for our charity partner Railway Children? Please get in touch with Viren Walia or Wendy Allington if you can join us.

Protecting vulnerable children and young people is everyone's responsibility... Last week, rail partners from across Britain joined Railway Children and British Transport Police for a national safeguarding campaign, helping raise awareness of the signs of vulnerability, exploitation and distress across the rail network. Together, we travelled more than 1,000 miles, engaging with passengers and rail staff at stations and onboard trains to encourage vigilance and remind people how to report concerns. A huge thank you to everyone who took part and helped start these vital conversations. 💚 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gRhpNsgy London North Eastern Railway CROSS COUNTRY TRAINS LIMITED Northern ScotRail Chiltern Railways East Midlands Railway Network Rail South Western Railway

We all have a role to play in keeping young people safe on the railway 💛 Taking part in the Railway Children's Day of Action last week was an important reminder that when we work together as an industry, we can help protect more vulnerable young people. The charity's annual safeguarding event brought together train operators and the BTP for three days of education and community engagement. It was a pleasure to speak to so many customers up and down the network about the signs to look for and what to do if they see a young person who may need help over the summer holidays. The campaign marks our third year partnering Railway Children, whose vital work means so much to the communities we serve. The numbers speak for themselves: 81% of young people supported by their Youth Practitioners in the North West reported an improvement in their wellbeing, and 91% reported an improvement in their safety. Natalie Richbell-Beer, our Safeguarding and Crime Manager, said: "The charity's work is vital to keeping young people on our railways safe. Everyone has a role to play so we have the best chance of helping keep as many children as possible out of harm's way." #DayOfAction #Safeguarding #RailwayChildren

Three days. Three countries across Britain. 17 stations. Countless important conversations about vulnerability... Today marked the third and final day of our national Safeguarding Days of Action, led by Railway Children and made possible through the incredible support of the rail community. We began in London, travelling from King’s Cross to Retford with London North Eastern Railway, before visiting Sheffield, Doncaster and Newcastle with CROSS COUNTRY TRAINS LIMITED and Northern , and finally reaching Edinburgh Waverley, where we were welcomed by our Scotland Project team and ScotRail. What an incredible three days it has been! Across the rail network, we’ve been engaging with railway staff and communities to raise awareness of the vulnerabilities young people can face, how to recognise the signs, and most importantly, how to report concerns. The rail community is uniquely placed to be the eyes and ears of the network. By speaking up and alerting the British Transport Police when something doesn’t feel right, we can help make sure vulnerable young people are identified, supported and given the opportunity to rebuild their lives and thrive. A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to stop, listen, share their experiences and have those important conversations over the past three days. Together, we can make the rail network safer for vulnerable young people. 🚆💚 Chiltern Railways London North Eastern Railway British Transport Police East Midlands Railway Northern Network Rail South Western Railway ScotRail

Collaboration on the move! 🤝 🚂 We thoroughly enjoyed our networking this morning that arose on the LNER service from Kings Cross to Retford, with safeguarding leads from South Western Railway , London North Eastern Railway Chiltern Railways and British Transport Police . As well as raising awareness of safeguarding among passengers and the wider rail community, one of the real successes of our National Safeguarding Days of Action campaign has been the collaboration across the rail industry. It has been fantastic to see BTP, Train Operating Companies, security companies and other rail community partners coming together to have valuable, open and productive conversations about safeguarding across the rail network. This collaboration strengthens our shared commitment to keeping passengers, staff and communities safe, and highlights what we can achieve when we work together. Thank you to everyone involved for your continued commitment and support. 👏 Joe Clay Rima Mehmood Rehana Marylebone Khawaja Joyce Spiers London Northwestern Railway Great Western Railway (GWR) Avanti West Coast Amulet Security Carlisle Support Services South Western Railway CrossCountry Trains Network Rail British Transport Police TransPennine Express Northern Transport for Wales Chiltern Railways East Midlands Railway

Our first two days of our National Safeguarding Days of Action have taken us from Glasgow to Cardiff to London, with plenty of stops – and conversations – along the way. We’ve met people at stations and on trains across the network, raising awareness of vulnerability on the railways and highlighting the important role we all play in keeping vulnerable people, particularly young people, safe. A huge thank you to our partners for joining us along the way and welcoming us onto your trains and into your stations: Avanti West Coast Transport for Wales on Day 1 and Great Western Railway (GWR), South Western Railway and CROSS COUNTRY TRAINS LIMITED on Day 2. It’s fantastic to see the rail community coming together with such a strong commitment to safeguarding and protecting vulnerable people. We’ve particularly enjoyed meeting all of the Safeguarding Champions who have taken part in our training! 💚 Now, it’s on to Day 3, as we travel up the East Coast from London to Edinburgh. #NationalSafeguardingDaysOfAction #Safeguarding #Rail #Vulnerability #YoungPeople #Partnership Avanti West Coast Great Western Railway (GWR) South Western Railway Chiltern Railways Transport for Wales Network Rail Worldline WSP CrossCountry Trains Amulet Security Carlisle Support Services