Participating the yearly Big Sleepout challenge, the group raised over £2,500 for Railway Children
• Eight Avanti West Coast colleagues slept overnight at Birmingham New Street for charity
• The group took part in the Railway Children’s yearly Big Sleepout challenge
• They raised over £2,500 through sponsorship to help combat child homelessness
A team of Avanti West Coast colleagues swapped their mattresses for the floor at Birmingham New Street station concourse to raise money for the Railway Children charity.
Supporting the charity’s yearly fundraiser – The Big Sleepout, the group of eight hardy volunteers joined industry colleagues in spending a night at the railway station as part of the cause’s aim to raise awareness of child homelessness.
The team, which included frontline and office-based colleagues, raised over £2,500 through sponsorship.
Taking on the challenge were Jo Bird, Communications Director; Joanna Buckley, Community Manager; Cleo Lindo, Internal Communications Executive; Amy Dawson, Reporting Analyst; Natalie Richbell-Beer, Safeguarding Manager; Nicola Hague, Customer Experience Strategy Manager; Marcia Graver, an on-board chef; and Louise McGregor, Management System Administrator.
This year’s Big Sleepout is being held at nine stations across the country, with Avanti West Coast joining the event at Birmingham New Street. Money raised from the event goes towards the charity’s work to combat child homelessness in the UK, India and Tanzania.
Speaking after the sleepout, Jo Bird, said: “There is something incredibly powerful about colleagues from the railway industry coming together up and down the country, to take on the challenge of sleeping overnight in a station to raise money for such a worthwhile cause.
“This is only my 2nd Big Sleepout, and I fully recommend others from across our industry to get involved next year. The Railway Children is a charity close to my heart for the fantastic work they do to help vulnerable young children on the streets here in the UK and also in India and Tanzania.”
Rob Capener, Railway Children’s Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our Sleepout always has a brilliant atmosphere. Working closely with the British Transport Police, we know that hundreds of vulnerable young people are identified on the UK rail network every day. The Sleepout event is a great way to raise vital funds for our programmes that help us reach children in need of urgent support while increasing awareness of our work with thousands of people who use the transport system.”