FEATURE: RAILWAY CHILDREN
RIDOUT’S FUNDRAISING TOTAL EXCEEDS £7,000!
Words: Victoria Turner Marketing Director for advance-TRS
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46 RailCONNECT
he man everyone’s talking about, Andy Ridout, Managing Director of advance Training and Recruitment Services (advance-TRS), is storming towards his fundraising target of £10,000. As previously reported, the driven Recruitment guru will be embarking on his second Ironman challenge this September, in honour of the charity Railway Children. Having already raised a staggering £7,221 Andy looks set to make a big difference to the cause that improves the lives of thousands of young people each year. In the UK, 100,000 children run away annually; their disappearance often goes unreported. William, aged 14, was one such child. Having been subjected to neglect by his mother, a drug addict, William had no bedroom, had never been to school and was surrounded by substance abusers on a daily basis. Three weeks after he left home he was noticed by a concierge who put him in touch with Aberlour, the young runaway service supported by Railway Children. Homeless, hungry and withdrawn, William was given a place to stay and began to reveal himself as an articulate and kind young man. William began attending school and is now training as an apprentice. There are thousands more children like William across the UK; many run
T
away in an attempt to escape violence, physical or sexual abuse and neglect at home. They are forced to sleep rough on the streets, unnoticed and uncared for, often ‘dropping out’ of society all together. Railway Children helps to provide safe places for these young people. Children’s Services Manager, Laura Irvine has been working closely with the charity for the past 10 years.
In the UK 100,000 children run away annually; their disappearance often goes unreported.
She commented, “So many young people are overlooked; children must feel safe, loved and secure in order to become the adults we need in our society. If we ignore our young people, it is us who will be responsible for the adults they become. Children are our future and must be nurtured.” Clare was 14 when her mum told her she didn’t want her anymore. “It all started to go wrong when my mum and dad split up,” she explained. “Mum was out all the time, leaving me alone with me younger brother. She
would arrive home drunk and play music really loud. We usually had to stay up at night to look after her.” Despite being kept up late, Clare
and her brother were expected to get up for school, her mum would get angry and hit them when they said they were tired. At school they were usually in no fit state to learn, would fight and get into trouble.
The day her mum told her to leave,
Clare went to school as usual, and then to her dad’s house. “I got a phone call from my mum saying to come and pick my clothes up. When we got to the house all my clothes were in bags outside.” Clare’s dad was supportive but worked long hours and had to leave the house early. Gradually she began associating with the wrong people, not going to school, and staying out at night.
“Sometimes I’d come home in the early hours of the morning and sometimes I wouldn’t come back at all.”
Eventually Clare’s dad became worried and reported her missing to the police. As a result, she was referred to the local runaway project and was allocated a key worker funded by Railway Children.
The key worker built up a
relationship with Clare and worked on her self-esteem and coping strategies
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