After providing more than £3.5 million of support since its launch in April 2018, Great Western Railway (GWR) and its parent company, FirstGroup, have brought a four-year charity partnership with Action for Children to a close.

The partnership was initially set up for three years. In 2021 it was extended a further year, and ended on 31st March.

Throughout the partnership, GWR and FirstGroup, provided support to Action for Children through employee and customer fundraising, corporate donations, and gift-in-kind advertising space, as well as volunteering and pro bono support.

The fundraising support has led to more than 2,000 activities being provided through Action for Children’s Enrichment Fund, which gives those children who might otherwise miss out on access to enriching activities and experiences that improve their mental health and wellbeing.

A highlight of the fundraising was in June 2019, when GWR ran the HST Farewell Rail Tour, raising £30,000 for the charity. The tour featured the last High Speed Train, called ‘The Flying Banana’, and attracted hundreds of rail enthusiasts looking to catch a glimpse of it making its final journey across 900 miles of the GWR network.

Community Manager for GWR, Emma Morris, said: “To be able to contribute towards this incredible sum of money, knowing the difference it will make to so many young people, is a huge moment of pride for all of us at GWR”.

The organisation’s support has focused on the mental health and wellbeing of vulnerable children and young people. Over 1,000 training opportunities for Action for Children mental health staff have been provided on the frontline of the Great Western Network. Thanks to this training, the charity’s employees have been able to deliver initiatives such as The Blues programme, which is an evidence-based group intervention for 13–19-year-olds who exhibit early indicators of low mood and anxious thoughts.

GWR and FirstGroup’s funding also supported the training of staff to deliver the Bouncing Back programme, a one-day training course that was started in response to the pandemic. The programme is aimed at 8-19 year olds, and looks to equip young people with practical tools, an understanding of good mental health resilience, and the knowledge of when and where to seek additional support.

One of the children who took part in the Bouncing Back training, said: “The Action for Children Bouncing Back training will really help me cope with stressful situations. I’ve learnt that wellbeing is a way of being a better you and that if you fall over you get back up again. My confidence has had a real boost.”

Action for Children has, since 2018, been the main beneficiary of FirstGroup’s charity activities across its First Bus and First Rail businesses, which includes GWR. In 2020, the partnership won the Business Charity Award for best charity partnership in the transport and automotive category.

Now that the Action for Children partnership has come to an end, FirstGroup is reviewing its approach to charity partnerships and to explore new ways that complement, support, and enhance community investment programmes across its divisions.

FirstGroup Executive Chairman, David Martin, said: “It has been a privilege to be able to support Action for Children in their mission to protect and support children and young people, and to see the lasting legacy that our partnership will leave. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our colleagues and customers, who really got behind the partnership, we have been able to fund impactful initiatives, supporting the mental health and wellbeing of vulnerable children and young people across the country, as well as providing vital training to frontline staff.”

Action for Children CEO, Melanie Armstrong, said: “Thanks to FirstGroup’s partnership and a shared vision to support vulnerable children and young people across the UK on their journey to better mental health, Action for Children has been able to deliver essential life-changing services during a time when they are most needed.

Despite all the challenges of coronavirus, the fundraising efforts have been truly impressive. As the partnership comes to an end, we would like to say how grateful we are for the passion and ongoing commitment to Action for Children shown by everyone across FirstGroup, which has enabled us to reach an incredible milestone of £3.5m.”