GMI raises vital funds for Railway Children

A number of GMI colleagues braved the cold to take part in the #BigStationSleepout on Thursday night to raise vital funds for Railway Children, a charity which fights for children who are homeless across the world.

Joining forces with participants from other organisations at Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street Station, GMI have now raised just under £2,000 with the figure continuing to rise.

The JustGiving page is still active, and there is still time to make a donation by clicking here.

Daniel Proffitt, Simon Mennell, Lucasz Krol and Daniel Rigby slept on the cold floor of Manchester Piccadilly Station, while Nicholas Turner and Richard Butler were at Birmingham New Street Station.

“It was a cold and uncomfortable night for everyone involved, but it was all for a fantastic cause and we did it,” said Daniel Proffitt, Responsible Business Partner and Team Captain for the event.

“What many homeless children across the world experience is unthinkable, and as a business we are proud to be raising awareness of the problems they face on a daily basis.

“Here at GMI we support a number of charities and initiatives as part of our commitment to being a responsible business, and we look forward to continuing our support of Railway Children.”

Railway Children has been supporting children alone and at risk on the streets for over 22 years, with the charity reaching more than 275,000 children in India, the UK and East Africa during this time.

Millions of children still live alone on the streets where they suffer abuse and exploitation, and the problems that they face on the streets are often worse than those they endured at home.

Railway Children’s CEO Terina Keene said: “We know from our work with British Transport Police that around 10,000 vulnerable young people are identified on the rail network every year. They might be running away from home, involved in county lines drugs gangs, being groomed to go and meet a stranger or even coming to the station with thoughts of suicide.

“With the help of our supporters and the whole rail community we can make sure we’re there to help them when they need it most.

“This event is a great way to raise money for our projects that reach these children, but also to share our work and our message with the many thousands of people who pass through our transport system every day.”