Industry leaders support new rail aid fundraiser

Eight senior leaders from across the rail industry have today committed to supporting Rail Aid 2020 by becoming ambassadors of the fundraising initiative in aid of Railway Children.

Launched just days ago, Rail Aid is marshalling the entire rail industry from frontline staff to senior executives to fundraise in support of the vital life-saving work done by charity Railway Children. The event will culminate in a live online broadcast at the end of November showcasing the very best efforts and fundraising achievements.

The Rail Aid ambassadors are:

• Andy Byford, Commissioner, TfL
• Lisa Coleman, Chief Executive Officer, Worldline UK&I
• Susan Cooklin, Route Services Director, Network Rail
• Dyan Crowther, Chief Executive Officer, HS1
• Mary Grant, Chief Executive Officer, Porterbrook
• Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Chair, Network Rail
• Paul Plummer, Chief Executive Officer, RDG
• Mark Thurston, Chief Executive Officer, HS2

The ambassadors can be seen voicing their support for Rail Aid in this short video.

Rail Aid is being launched in direct response to the Covid outbreak which has made Railway Children’s work with vulnerable young people even more vital. At the same time, the pandemic has forced the cancellation of the charity’s biggest annual fundraiser, The Railway Ball.

While participants are being invited to carry out and film their own fundraising initiatives, Rail Aid and Railway Children are also encouraging people to get involved in the activities they are coordinating.

These include The Locomotion Challenge, a dance-off to the famous Kylie Minogue song (or the Little Eva original) where socially distanced teams will be asked to choreograph and film the best routine, with a public vote deciding the winner. Commit Your Commute asks people who are working from home to donate the value of their daily commute. Get On Track will see people run, cycle or walk as many miles as they can to contribute to an overall distance of 10,261 miles – the length of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland rail networks – with participants asked to donate the amount in pounds that they travel.

Rail Aid ambassador, Sir Peter Hendy CBE said: “I’m delighted to support Rail Aid and Railway Children. The charity’s vital work saves the lives of young people both in the UK and overseas. The Covid pandemic has hit the vulnerable hardest and it has never been more important to ensure people can get the help they need when they need it. Whether your thing is sponsored tiddly winks or dancing The Locomotion, I’d encourage everyone in the railway family to do it for Rail Aid this autumn.”

People wishing to get involved can find out more at www.railaid.co.uk

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