A call for compassion on the rail network during mental health awareness week
Railway Children and Govia Thameslink Railway partner to raise awareness of young people’s mental health across the rail network.
Date: 11/5/2026
Young voices leading the way
How Railway Children’s Youth Platform empowers young people to shape policy, influence British Transport Police, access lifechanging grants and support their peers.
Author: Lucy Carman | Date: 3rd March 2026
At Railway Children, young people aren’t just at the heart of what we do — they’re at the heart of how we do it.
Through our flagship youth participation programme, Youth Platform, young people shape our training materials, influence key decisions and ensure the British Transport Police (BTP) and rail industry truly understand youth vulnerability.
Thanks to your support, their insight and lived experience have strengthened our work in powerful ways. Here are some of the inspiring achievements from the past year.
Youth Forums: young people shaping our work
Youth Forums form a central part of Youth Platform, giving young people who have benefitted from our services a meaningful say in how we develop and deliver support.
Meeting every 6–8 weeks, forum members consistently contribute to key developments across Railway Children and the wider rail network.
Their impact includes:
- Helping develop frontline staff training
- Advising on public awareness campaigns
- Representing young voices in the media
- Sitting on interview panels to help us recruit the right people
This year, we hosted our first-ever Youth Forum Day, bringing together BTP, rail staff, inspiring speakers and young people for a transformative day of learning, connection and shared progress.
“I enjoyed being able to share opinions and talk to people like BTP.”
Operation youth voice: research led by lived experience
Delivered in partnership with British Transport Police, Operation Youth Voice places often-overlooked young voices at the forefront of system change.
Through guided conversations, workshops and lived-experience insights, young people helped:
- Challenge assumptions about youth behaviour
- Highlight safety concerns on the rail network
- Identify what needs to change to improve protection
The findings will directly shape how BTP trains officers, how rail staff approach vulnerable young people, and how the transport network becomes safer and more accessible for all children.
Alongside this groundbreaking work, we also delivered vital training to 4,349 rail staff and BTP officers this year.
Youth Empowerment Fund: tailored support that transforms lives
While youth practitioners offer day-to-day support in ways that work best for each young person, sometimes small but significant extras can make a huge difference.
That’s where the Youth Empowerment Fund comes in. Young people apply for one-off grants, which are reviewed and approved by our Youth Committee based on need and potential impact.
This year, grants supported requests including:
- A kayaking session to build confidence
- A basketball hoop to encourage positive activity
- A new bed for a safe night’s sleep
- Work clothes to start a new job
- A special day trip to Blackpool Pleasure Beach for siblings separated by temporary foster care
“The youth empowerment fund is a great way to help other young people who may be having a difficult time.”
Youth Platform online: a space for young people, by young people
Our Youth Platform offers a safe, empowering environment where young people can share their experiences, build knowledge and connect with others.
It’s an evolving digital community shaped by young voices — championing honesty, peer support and trusted information.
Created by young people for young people, the platform features content on…
Your Support Makes This Possible
Youth participation is transforming how we understand and respond to vulnerability — and your support ensures young people remain at the centre of that change.
£250 could fund one Youth Forum, ensuring young people continue to guide, influence and improve our work.
Our latest updates
The £50 challenge
This May and June, Railway Children is giving the rail industry a fun, simple fundraising challenge to bring staff together, spark creativity and boost morale – all while changing the lives of vulnerable children.
Date: 30/4/2026
Railway Children to present at Skoll 2026
Railway Children will join partners from the Rooted Futures collaboration at the 2026 Skoll World Forum to lead an interactive session on family strengthening and child protection reform.
Date: 07/4/2026
What’s the difference between child protection and safeguarding?
Learn about safeguarding and how it relates to child protection on transport networks.
Date: 28/4/2026
Helping children and young people build a life away from the streets
No child wants to survive on the streets. And, through understanding and empowerment, together, we can ensure no child has to.
Date: 10/4/2026
Becoming Julia
Julia, 24, grew up as a boy but knew, early on, that the gender she’d been born into was not who she was. Here, she talks to Youth Platform about her journey, and what she wishes she’d know as a ten-year-old boy.
Date: 31/3/2026
