A charitable initiative which has seen West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway staff donate old uniforms of theirs to charity has now been nominated for a top-ranking business award.

Following the introduction of new uniforms to more than 2,000 members of staff, over ten tonnes of items including shirts, trousers and coats from previous uniforms have been passed on to The Salvation Army charity to be reused.

The scheme has now been honoured with a nomination in the Corporate Social Responsibility category at the Birmingham Post Business Awards for its incredible success.

Donated items with logos, such as suit jackets and trousers, were in fact de-branded and made available to those who needed them by The Salvation Army Trading Company’s charity shops. Other items were shredded up and then recycled into carpets, insulation, cushions or even the stuffing for some car seats.

Meanwhile, Malvern Link station, which is operated by West Midlands Railway, has also been nominated for a prestigious National Rail Award in the category of Small Station of the Year. In the same awards, Northampton station, which is operated by London Northwestern Railway, has earned a nomination into the Large Station of the Year category.

London Northwestern Railway dispatcher Scott Nickels, based at the London Euston station, has been nominated for a National Rail Award in the category of Outstanding Personal Contribution. This is for providing assistance to a seriously ill passenger during his services.

Both the Birmingham Post Business Awards and National Rail Awards are set to take place in September this year (2019), at these awards the winners will be crowned.

What did the officials say?

Andy Camp, commercial director for London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway, said:

“By donating old uniforms to The Salvation Army, we wanted to give something back to the communities we serve, whilst ensuring as many items as possible were recycled. The response from our staff was fantastic and this award nomination recognises our efforts in diverting over ten tonnes of unused clothing away from landfill.”

Kirk Bradley, head of corporate partnerships from The Salvation Army Trading Company, said:

“This partnership has been a great success which has enabled The Salvation Army to help West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway staff to responsibly recycle their excess uniforms. By diverting over ten tonnes from landfill we raised funds to help the vital work of The Salvation Army in supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged people.”

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