The Leeds United Foundation have been working in partnership with Network Rail for a number of years helping to promote key messages around railway safety to young people in the local community.
As part of the ongoing relationship coaches from the club’s official charity deliver sessions and host workshops and assemblies throughout the season at schools in Leeds.
The aim of the assemblies are to engage and interact with young students, promoting key messages around the dangers you may face on the railway – including how we can avoid dangers and how to use trains safely.
The sessions are delivered to Key Stage 2 pupils, which is the age you often begin to see children attempting to trespass, and by going into various schools across the city and throughout West Yorkshire the Foundation hope to reach this audience that need to hear the safety messaging most.
Children are often unaware of the number of hidden dangers that can be found on the tracks or in a train station and so it is incredibly important to ensure they understand all of the dangers they could be faced with, how to act responsibly and how to deal with any challenges. By delivering these messages and interacting with students at a young age, it will hopefully help to reduce the risk of accidents on the railway, making a difference to those in our community.
Jenna Wraith, Development Officer at the Leeds United Foundation who helps to deliver the railway safety assemblies, said: “With the assemblies I usually deliver, I believe the messages are very important and need to be heard loud and clear. It is important that we interact with the kids during the sessions, getting them to answer questions to ensure they are taking away the key points and have learnt something.
“We have a great relationship with Network Rail and we really value the work we do with them, being able to reach as many young people as possible to try and reduce trespassing and anti-social behaviour around railways.”
For more information around the partnership with Network Rail and the workshops delivered with the Leeds United Foundation, please contact [email protected].
