Rail compensation will help children's charity
Compensation to rail passengers whose trains are delayed is now being used to help a children's charity.
Rail operator Avanti West Coast, which provides express rail services throughout the West Midlands, has launched a partnership with the Action for Children Charity, which provides support to improve youngsters' mental health.
Customers travelling on the inter-city operator’s services who are eligible for Delay Repay, a scheme to claim compensation when a journey is delayed by 15 minutes or more, can now request that all the money goes to the charity when making the application.
Donations to the charity will be used for mental health programmes, which are designed to help equip young people and their parents with the skills and confidence to care for their wellbeing, and get help when they need it.
Ermelinda Ceci of Action for Children, said the partnership would make a significant difference, adding that the coronavirus pandemic had affected many youngsters.
“Our frontline workers tell us the crisis has damaged the mental health of over three-quarters of the children and young people they support, with some experiencing night terrors, bed-wetting, self-harm and outbursts of anger, so it’s crucial they receive support as early as possible.
"All donations will ensure Action for Children can be a lifeline for those young people and give them the tools they need to be able to cope.”
Joanna Buckley, community manager at Avanti West Coast, added: “We want to make a difference to the communities we serve and connect young people to opportunity, so we are proud to be supporting the work of Action for Children through our Delay Repay scheme.
“While we strive to deliver the best possible experience, we are committed to ensuring our customers are compensated when their journey is delayed by 15 minutes or more and this latest initiative allows them to donate their compensation to help others local to our route.
"The kindness of our customers will help Action for Children to deliver their mental health programmes, which are more vital than ever with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.”
