Rail operator South Western Railway (SWR) has announced its local charity partners for the next two years.
They were picked from nearby charities which had been nominated by the business’s staff, with one for each region.
The charities have been announced after SWR was the first train operator to partner with national charity Missing People UK in late 2021. This collaboration sees SWR staff receiving notification on missing people and supporting work to reunite loved ones.
With the new announcement, Missing People UK has also become an official charity partner of SWR at a network-wide level.
SWR will work with the local charities whilst using its resources to raise the profile of the causes, with initiatives including donations, advertising space, volunteering time, collaborative events, and collections.
The following is a list of the organisations they have officially partnered with:
Missing People UK – works to unite missing people with their loved ones across the UK. SWR has recently signed up to the charity’s Safeguarding Briefing Network, becoming the first train operator to receive live missing person alerts. Those alerts are then sent to SWR’s frontline colleagues who can be on the look-out for these vulnerable people.
Ace of Clubs – a family-like community centre which provides transformative support for homeless, vulnerable, and otherwise marginalised people in the area by linking them to a range of services, including accommodation, rehab, welfare, and many others.
SERV Surrey and London – a network of volunteers who provide an urgent 24-hour blood delivery services at no cost to the NHS.
The Alex Wardle Foundation – set up by Steve Wardle a Rail Community Officer at SWR, in memory of his son Alex who passed away from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, the charity aims to support research to further understand SADS and prevent deaths from the condition. SWR already works closely with the foundation and this year hopes to further expand its support.
Baby Necessities Baby Bank – a bank providing new and pre-loved items to families in need to alleviate child poverty and promote the reuse of items.
Amy Dickinson, head of sustainability at South Western Railway said: “I’m proud of the five new charity partnerships we’re announcing today, because they show how our staff truly care for the communities they serve.
“Across our network we are always looking to do more, and through these local partnerships we will support the important work each charity does to help people in these challenging times.”
