Avanti West Coast has teamed up with award-winning spoken word performer and social commentator, George the Poet, to launch Feel Good Field Trips for children from schools with high pupil premium rates.

The campaign builds on the Avanti Schools Programme, which aspires to connect young people from a range of diverse socio-economic backgrounds to opportunities across the route. Up to 5,000 free trips will be offered to pupils across Great Britain with immersive and enriching learning opportunities, to which they previously would not have had access.

Pupils aged four to 18 will have a chance to travel by train to destinations across the West Coast Main Line for hands-on learning, fun, and culturally diverse days out. Launch events included a hands-on cookery day for pupils from COOP Academy in Stoke-on-Trent learned about the history of Manchester‘s Curry Mile and made a delicious vegetarian curry and baked bread in a Tandoor oven with some of its best chefs.

In Coventry, Year 7 pupils from King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy were guided around Daniel Lismore’s latest exhibition at The Herbert, ‘Be Yourself: Everyone Else Is Already Taken.’ The children then attended a creative workshop where they sketched out designs for their own piece of pattern-based artwork.

Kicking off the campaign and fronting the initiative as the ‘Culture Conductor’ is renowned spoken word performer, poet and award-winning rapper, George the Poet. George gave ten pupils aged 10-11 from Ashbury Meadow Primary School in Manchester, a taste of what kind of experiences Feel Good Field Trips has to offer.

George hosted a once-in-a-lifetime poetry writing and recording studio production workshop, where the children created their own piece of spoken word art, which was later recorded at Soho Sonic Studios in Camden.

More destinations and experiences will be added over the next two years across the West Coast Mainline, including outdoor adventuring in the Lake District and fashion upcycling in Glasgow.

Avanti West Coast is working alongside Community Rail Partners from within the Community Rail Network, including Community Rail Lancashire, Heart of England, and Rail 74, to deliver the campaign, with additional partners set to join during its two-year roll-out.

Rail Minister Wendy Morton said: “This is a brilliant initiative from Avanti West Coast, that will get the next generation out and about seeing the best of our country while using our fantastic rail network to do it.”

George the Poet said: “Some of our most important learning experiences as children take place beyond the confines of the classroom. Having spent time as a youth worker, helping young people to access a healthy dose of educational escapism is something I’m very passionate about.

“That’s why I’m excited to help kick-start a project that will connect young people from a whole range of different backgrounds to exciting and enriching opportunities that they’ll always remember.

“I had a fantastic time working with the pupils from Ashbury Meadow Primary School; together we created a brand-new piece of spoken word art and took an in-depth look at the science of sound, the recording process, and how technology has evolved.

“I’m thrilled that so many other kids will get the chance to enjoy this kind of hands-on, immersive experience as part of the Feel Good Field Trips campaign.”

Mark Gibson, Assistant Headteacher at Ashbury Meadow Primary School, said: “The trip was a dream come true for most of these children who have never been on a long-distance train journey, let alone into central London. We’d like to say a huge thank you to Avanti West Coast for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our pupils, which includes meeting George the Poet as well – that’s the icing on the cake.”

Avanti West Coast Managing Director, Phil Whittingham, said:

“The past two years have been incredibly difficult and school children have been particularly affected by this pandemic. Not only has their education been heavily disrupted, but they also lost out on two years’ worth of social experiences.

“With the launch of Feel Good Field Trips, we want to give young people across the West Coast Mainline access to truly enjoyable opportunities which they otherwise would miss out on. Our network is rich in iconic destinations, which truly reflect the cultural diversity of our nation. We can’t wait to offer some much-needed joy to thousands of children who thoroughly deserve it.”