The Leeds United Foundation have been working with Network Rail alongside a number of other local organisations for a number of years on an educaional programme that aims to keep people as safe as possible on the railway.

The ongoing project with Network Rail has been specifically designed to educate youngsters across the Leeds area about the dangers posed by the railway using football as a vehicle to keep children engaged. Coaches from the club’s official charity support with the delivery of safety assemblies and presentations, and the project is committed to ensuring the club can have a positive impact on increasing children’s knowledge on this subject matter and can contribute to longer-term engagement through working in ‘hot-spot’ areas of Leeds where the crime rate is especially high.

Since starting the programme, the Leeds United Foundation have delivered in every local primary school and a number of targeted secondary schools within Leeds. Specific examples include Cross Gates Primary School, Meadowfield Primary School and Sherburn High School – which were all hot-spot schools for Network Rail due to the increased trespassing rates in these areas. After delivering safety assemblies to each of these schools, the hope is that the key information given will be shared with friends and families to ensure a safer community for all.

One of the pupils from Cross Gates Primary School during a recent assembly, said: “I was really interested in the assembly because the fact I live right next to the railway station it is really useful to learn all the facts about how to stay safe near one and now I can help family and friends stay safe and I know what not to do and what to do around them.

“I think the assembly was very informative and now I can go home and spread my new- found knowledge with my family to help keep them safe around railways.”

A Station Safety Week event held at Leeds Train Station is planned for October 2022, and this will involve schools across Leeds being invited to take part in some football related games before attending a station tour with the Station Manager and Network Rail which will highlight the safety information needed at a train station. The children in attendance will also spend some time with the British Transport Police who support the education programme with information around track safety and vandalism.

For more information on the work being done with Network Rail, please email Sophie.Evans@leedsunited.com.