South Western Railway has revealed that it is now supporting Shaping Portsmouth, which is a Community Interest Company.

South Western Railway has a key focus on supporting the communities which it serves and its recent patronage to Shaping Portsmouth will provide a fantastic approach to bringing further initiatives to the people of Portsmouth and making a difference in their lives.

The rail operator will share its own experience and knowledge that has developed whilst operating within local communities right across its network and through partnerships with Community Rail Groups and investing in projects which bring genuine and positive change for customers via its Customer and Community Improvement Fund – which is currently open for bids.

Shaping Portsmouth is a community-focused company which aims to create sustainable partnerships as well as innovative projects in order to support the vibrant waterfront city of Portsmouth. With just a small team working in its office, the company is supported by 120 volunteers who host fifteen programmes which aid the city in several areas including Business, Education and Community whilst supporting 14 more external ongoing projects.

To find out more about Shaping Portsmouth, please visit: https://shapingportsmouth.co.uk/

Amy Dickinson, SWR’s Head of Sustainability, says: “We are so excited about joining Shaping Portsmouth as its values and vision reflect our own. We share their desire to bring people together and build them up to deliver great things.

“We are looking forward to collaborating with others to deliver on local initiatives such as climate action, staying safe and offering apprenticeship programmes to give the people in Portsmouth a variety of career options”

Stef Nienaltowski, CEO of Shaping Portsmouth, adds:

“Amy Dickinson and the team from SWR are committed to playing their full part in our Partnership and I know that we will be able to deliver more activities and at a broader level because of their commitment to us and the city.

“The investment they have indicated in terms of support and people will enable us to go further than we can now and at a quicker pace. I am confident that we will build a lasting Partnership across a number of our current programmes.”