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What the Railway Children Charity Do in The UK

Did you know?

• 100,000 children under the age of sixteen run away from home or care every year in the UK.*
• 1 in 12 young runaways are hurt or harmed while they are away*
• 1 in 6 young runaways sleep rough. *
• There are only 11 safe refuge beds for runaway children in the whole of the UK.

^{* Children’s Society; ‘Still Running’ 2005}

Children run away because of violence, family breakdown, abuse, neglect and feeling unwanted. Whilst on the street, they face hunger, violence, drug use, sexual exploitation and in some cases death.

Why we’re involved in the UK…

Railway Children recognised a lack of front line services for children who run away and that the policy and guidance to safeguard these vulnerable children was not in place

Railway Children has a long history of ensuring young peoples voices are heard at government level. Through remaining independently funded, we ensure their messages and our learning are not compromised.

What we’re doing…

• We currently provide funding towards nine projects, working directly with runaways.
• We give funding to the projects that provide five of the eleven refuge beds.
• We Chair the English Coalition for Runaways (34 organisations concerned with runaways).
• We are a member of the national oversight group that oversee national task groups; developing new government guidance for runaways, local measurements and research into emergency accommodation.
• We act as the secretariat for the All Parliamentary Group for Runaways.
• We are carrying out research with the most detached young people in the UK.
  

 

This years team event for the 3 Peaks by Rail is booked to run on the 24th to the 26th June 2010. In the week before this date Martin Cookman is planning to set out on a pre-challenge, challenge !!!

The first part of his challenge will start at St Bees in Cumbria. An advance 190 mile walk will start at St Bees Head on the West Coast of England and cross to Robin Hood’s Bay on the East Coast, passing through the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. Completing the Coast 2 Coast walk.

Coast 2 Coast Route and planned legs for poor weather (6 days)

Last two legs together if going has been good to complete in (5 days)

START on FRIDAY 18^th June 2010, 0900 hrs at St Bees seafront car pk.

LEG 1 to Longthwaite Campsite 017687 776678 (page 96) 29.5 miles

PM at Rostwaite Royal Oak or the Flock Inn (BORROWDALE).

SATURDAY 19^th,

LEG 2 to Bulls Head Campsite 01931 716678 (page 127) 36 miles

PM at Bulls Head or Kings Arms (SHAP)

SUNDAY 20^th,

LEG 3 to  Orchard Caravan Pk 01748 884475 (page 165) 45.5 miles.

PM at The Black Bull or Kings Arms (REETH)

MONDAY 21^st,

LEG 4 to Cote Ghyll Caravan Pk 01609 883425 (page 197) 38 miles.

PM at The Queen Catherine (OSMOTHERLY)

TUESDAY 22^nd,

LEG 5 to Priory Farm 01947 895324 (page 218) 33.5 miles.

PM at The Station Tavern (GROSMONT)

WEDNESDAY 23^rd,

LEG 6 to Middlewood Fm 01947 880414 or Hooks House Fm 01947 880283 (page 228) 15.5 miles.

PM at The Bay Hotel, Wainwrights Bar Robin Hoods Bay.

Following directly on will be part two, the 3 Peaks Challenge by Rail when Martin will join the rest of the La'al Ratty team in conquering Snowdon, Sca Fell Pike and Ben Nevis. The aim of this personal challenge is to complete each leg of the event in the best possible time and to raise funds and as much exposure for our chosen charity as we can.

Thank you for visiting our RATTY 3 PEAKS fundraising page.

Our MISSION, Each year many abandoned or runaway children arrive on railway station platforms with nobody to meet them, having no idea of what they're going to do, how to STAY SAFE and SURVIVE.

During the last year alone 25,571 children and young people living in the UK, India, Tanzania and Kenya have benefitted from the Railway Children Charities hard work

WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP THEM.

Our TEAM AIM:-  is to combine members of staff from the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, Volunteers from the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation Society and general friends of La'al Ratty, in a combined effort to raise much needed funds for the Railway Children Charity.

To do this, our team is entered in this years 3 Peaks Challenge by Rail. 

Read about the challenge this mad team of four have agreed to undertake:    

To climb the highest mountains in Wales, England and Scotland, by means of a special train linking all three.  Some people estimate this is probably the equivalent of three half marathons on quite difficult terrain and of course there is little prospect of much sleep during the event.  

All locations are reached by a specially chartered mainline train that all teams travel on (about 200 competitors in total) and of course not forgetting the Steam hauled section from Ravenglass to Dalegarth by the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway itself.  The Special Train departs Euston Thursday afternoon.

SNOWDON (in the dark on Thursday night)

Coaches will take the team from Bangor station to Pen-y-Pas car park. Here we start a 4 mile climb with an ascent of 2381 ft; it is not a difficult path by torch light!!! And there is a café at the summit; unfortunately it’s not open in the middle of the night!!! Very inconsiderate! Then it’s back to the train for transport to Ravenglass.

 

SCAFELL PIKE (Friday Mid-day)

Arriving at Ravenglass,we join the Steam hauled section from Ravenglass to Dalegarth by the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway itself, a most enjoyable  journey to Dalegarth, where we start are ascent of Scafell and the Pike.   The route takes us over some 4.5 miles of rolling country side!!!  Before climbing past Brown tongue to bear left over Hollow Stones towards Lingmell Col and bear right up to the summit. The route is regarded as strenuous with a final climb to the Pike of approximately 2.5 miles. On completion of this leg local mini buses take the teams back to Ravenglass Station for onward transport to Fort William.

BEN NEVIS (Saturday)

Arriving at Fort William the teams are taken by coach to the start point at Glen Nevis Visitor Centre. The path zigzags the broad west slopes of Ben Nevis to the exposed summit plateau and then the rocky path goes over steep bolder feeds. The distance from start to summit is approximately 4.75 miles with an ascent of 4347 ft and regarded as intermediate to strenuous!!!

PARTY TIME

It’s then time to rejoin the train for a well-deserved glass of champagne on the journey home. Enjoying the beautiful views as we travel through the Scottish highlands and bask in the glory of having completed this amazing team challenge.

With your help and support Ratty’s team will have raised considerable funds, meaning you will have made a real contribution in helping runaway or abandoned children in the UK and abroad.

To find out more about what's involved with the event you can view information about 2008's challenge from the following links.

www.railwaychildren.org.uk/article.asp?id=598

www.ukrailalbum.fotopic.net/c1544638.html

To find out more about the organization we are representing, please visit the following links.

www.ravenglass-railway.co.uk

www.rerps.co.uk

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SO PLEASE SPONSOR US NOW !!! Your help and donation is much appreciated, THANK YOU.