The Railway Benefit Fund (RBF) charity has announced this year’s annual Railway Family Week will take place from 22 to 28 April.

This is the fourth year that the charity has held a Railway Family Week.

It was founded in 2021 as a result of the pandemic and is designed to celebrate both the railway industry and all those who are part of it.

240,000 people are part of the ‘railway family’, working in passenger, freight, infrastructure, supply chain, and ancillary services to keep the country moving day in, and day out.

Each year, Railway Family Week aims to raise £50,000 for the charity, which provides financial support to current, former and retired railway staff and their dependents throughout the country.

The charity was founded in 1858 with a vision to help railway people across the nation have a brighter future.

Railway Family Week gives people the chance to achieve this goal by getting involved and making a difference.

One of the events this year is a “Station to Station Challenge”, when teams from across the industry, including Porterbrook, Freightliner, RIA and Avanti West Coast, attempt a 2,000-mile virtual walk around Great Britain, calling at 23 iconic stations along the way.

Members of each team will track their real-world activity along a virtual route in a step challenge app, that shows them moving along a map of the UK, calling at key station milestones along the way.

If anyone wishes to enter a team, they can do so by clicking here.

Another way in which the charity aims to reach its target of £50,000 is for volunteers to get involved by accruing 50,000 volunteer minutes across the week.

From just 30 minutes, a few hours, an afternoon, or a full day, volunteers can make a real impact. The charity will provide volunteers with a digital volunteering pack that contains all that is needed to start fundraising among their friends and colleagues.

A major event is the Railway Family Raffle, with incredible prizes for three lucky winners. They include a Hornby Bundle, a Desktop Departure Board, and tickets to the Steps musical ‘Here & Now’. Anyone can enter the raffle by clicking here.

Further information about the charity and becoming involved in Railway Family Week can be found online at www.railwaybenefitfund.org.uk/news/railway-family-week