Share your stories, art, musings, creations, thoughts… in whatever way works for you.
Have a story or piece of art or creative writing to share? Get in touch by emailing Amy at a.wright@railwaychildren.org.uk
We’ll never give your real name or use photos of you, so you’ll always stay anonymous.
“It was easier to be that boy I knew I wasn’t. But now I really regret it. I wish I’d stuck with it the first time.”
Julia, 24, grew up as a boy but knew, early on, that the gender she’d been born into was not who she was.
She recently spoke to Youth Platform about her journey, and what she wishes she’d know as a ten-year-old boy.
Overwhelmed by the news? You’re not the only one. Wars, disasters, and crises are just a swipe away.
In this insightful and honest piece, Alex, 22, explains why young people in particular feel the pressure to “keep up” with every devastating story and why it’s okay to step back and set boundaries.
Millie, 20, shares the story of how she came out, and offers advice to anyone who might be going through a similar experience.
Nineteen-year-old Harper is looking forward to a bright future, but it wasn’t always this way.
Not long ago, she was going through a very tough time and was struggling with her mental health. Overwhelmed and not knowing where to turn, she was spending long hours near railway tracks.
When she met Railway Children, things started to change. With the right support, Harper found a way forward and started building the life she wanted.
Watch her story to see how she got through it – and know that, whatever you’re facing, there’s always someone who can help.
Play Video
It was auctioned off and raised an incredible £480 for our charity!
With this money, we can help young people facing the same challenges he once did to find a way forward.
Last year, 16-year-old Dante spent Christmas in emergency foster care.
He hadn’t been attending school and, at home, life was chaotic, cold and dominated by conflict.
A year later, Dante is happily living in a permanent foster care placement. He’s started an apprenticeship and is attending college one day a week. He also plans to move out of foster care this year and into his own flat.
“Dante has been such a big part of his own progress,” says his project worker, Amelia.
“He’s earning his own money, getting himself to work and attending college. He doesn’t need me anymore – and that’s the aim. That’s where we want young people to get to. Dante now has the skills, the resilience and the confidence to go out and do it himself.”
Dante has made an incredible turnaround in his life. He’s now joined our Youth Participation programme, where he’s helping shape the future of our work.
Dylan, a transgender young person, was referred to us after being physically assaulted.
With the help of his youth worker, Dylan recovered from the trauma of the assault. We also helped him work through issues he was having around his transition.
Dylan uses art, writing and music as a way to express what’s in his head and calm down when he’s feeling stressed.
Thanks to encouragement from Claire and his teachers, Dylan eventually felt confident enough to come out to the other students at school.
“This was an extremely positive experience for Dylan,” says Claire, “which helped him to feel accepted, less worried about being misunderstood and encouraged him to engage more with school.”
“Dylan is now more hopeful about the future and is looking forward to inspiring other young people through his rapping. He’s such an amazing person,” she adds.
Thinking about the year ahead, 16-year-old Erin penned the following goals:
With the support of her youth worker, Erin is making these goals a reality in 2025.
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.
Over 200 supporters from the rail industry raised more than £60,000 at Railway Children’s Night At The Station event, spending a night in stations across the UK to protect vulnerable children at risk.
Through our flagship youth participation programme, Youth Platform, young people are shaping our training materials, influencing key decisions and ensuring the rail industry truly understand youth vulnerability.
No child wants to survive on the streets. And, through understanding and empowerment, together, we can ensure no child has to.
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.
Reflecting on the unique strengths different minds bring to Railway Children and the rich potential of the neurodivergent young people we support.
