Railway Mission News Summer 2015

news Railway Mission

Summer 2015

inside this issue‌

Police chaplaincy focus Meet our new faces How our Mission began Scotrail goes Dutch and much more‌

In this issue From the Top

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Down the line

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Police chaplaincy focus

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The value of chaplaincy to British Transport Police

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Temporary garden sprouts new project idea

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Meet our new chaplains

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How to support our new chaplains

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Edinburgh chaplain Nicola Goncalves speaks to a police officer during a visit to one of her stations in Scotland.

New chapter for last remaining Railway Mission Hall

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Changing the lives of future generations

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Railway Mission provides dedicated chaplaincy to the British Transport Police as we support them in their often diďŹƒcult work.

Scotland's rail passenger services go Dutch

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Royal link to new plaques

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Mission helps children to stay safe

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Network Rail’s Mark Carne talks leadership

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Over to you!

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Cover Photo

In this issue of Railway Mission News we feature some of our work with BTP, as well as a variety of stories from around the stations and depots, and an introduction to our new chaplains.

There is also a new back page noticeboard where readers can share their own Railway Mission news.

Edited by Rachel Dalby Layout by Steve Rowe Photography by Liam Johnston (unless otherwise indicated)

Produced by Railway Mission

The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation

From the Top with Executive Director Liam Johnston Unbounded grace It has been said* “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”

Some see this light in terms of enlightenment or rational thought, but the light that most brings fear is the light that makes all things visible (cf.

Ephesians 5:13). It is in the darkness that people find security, albeit, a false security.

As Railway Mission chaplains, we are called to bear this light into the railway; into the darkness. There’s often a certain reaction from those who meet a chaplain for the first time that is based in fear. We hear the response ‘I am not

religious’ or ‘who told you to come?’

How do we move people from this place of fear to a place of openness and trust? It’s through unbounded grace—the limitless, unrestrained, abundant, absolute, infinite Grace of God.

In Psalm 28 the psalmist writes of his fear and despair. Yet, through his call to God, he finds security and salvation in God, recalling ‘The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation…’

As chaplains enter the workplace, we seek to replace fear with hope, darkness with light, and bring grace —grace out of the abundance of God’s Grace. * From a speech before the Bismarck Association in 1952 by Dr M. Duane Sommerness, but often wrongly attributed to Plato.

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Luton Railway Mission Hall 1909

Historian Dudley Clark

Down the Line In the first of his series of articles exploring Railway Mission’s past, Dudley Clark asks ‘how did it all begin?’

From the early years of the 19th Century, thousands of navvies were gathered to build our railway network and by the 1830s they had caught the attention of Christians.

As the number of railwaymen grew, Christians gathered for fellowship and to share their experiences, and the first workplace meeting is believed to have been at Derby Works in 1857.

In 1837 one wrote to the newly formed London City Mission to awaken concern for “the eternal welfare” of these men. Missionaries were appointed by Railway Companies and Contractors, and LCM soon realised that it had a special mission field on its doorstep. By 1846 Euston station had its own missionary.

The Railway Mission had many precursors, but its source came from the founding of the Young Men’s Christian Association in 1844. The YMCA spread to the United States and the first ‘railroad branch’ was formed at Cleveland in 1872.

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How our mission began Inspired by this, The Railway Boys Mission was established in London two years later to provide for the thousands of boys who flocked to the Capital away from home and church influences.

It provided educational classes, recreation and Christian instruction. The RBM committee recognised the need to broaden the scope of its ministry, and, in November 1881, resolved to establish The Railway Mission for the “moral and spiritual advancement of railway employees of all ages”.

Distribution of literature was seen as a vital part of the Mission’s ministry, with the monthly Railway Signal as its flagship. Its meaningful subtitle was ‘Lights along the Line’, and a monthly column allowed branches to submit news of how they were progressing.

Most branches of the Mission began life as part of the Railway Mission Christian Association, which had been launched in 1884 to link individual Christians to the Mission and to one another. Soon, groups of RMCA members rented buildings to meet in, while others funded their own – often on land provided by the railway – and the motto

‘A Saviour for railwaymen and railwaymen for Christ’ graced the rear wall of mission halls.

The number of branches reached its peak of around 300 in 1900 before declining throughout the 20th Century.

This reflected the national decline in religious observance and the contraction of the railway network.

From the 1970s, the sale of mission halls provided funds for a change in direction, away from the expectation that rail employees would come to the halls, to concentrating on a chaplaincy based in the workplace.

The situation is now more like the earlier years, with our chaplains going to people where they work. But in those times even before the mission halls had been established, there was a widespread network of railway people who supported the Mission and each other.

The ministry has broadened, but the fundamental need of the human heart for a relationship with Jesus Christ is still being met.

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Photo: Steve Rowe

National police award for Richard

Our chaplain for the North West, Richard Cook, has been commended for his work by the British Transport Police.

Richard, known by many as ‘the flying vicar’ was presented with a certificate by Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Thomas at the BTP National Complementary Policing Awards ceremony in London.

Richard (pictured with his wife Ann and ACC Thomas) was praised for his ongoing work with police officers, families and eye-witnesses involved in fatal incidents.

He was selected for the national awards after he and chaplains Paul Holloway and Andrew Hall were commended in the CDivision regional awards.

“I count the national award as a measure of the great work done by ALL Railway Mission chaplains,” said Richard.

Police chaplaincy focus Shockingly, fatal incidents have become an almost daily occurrence on the UK’s rail network.

In just seven consecutive days in April, there were eleven suicides, six attempted suicides, one fatal accident and one murder – a total of 19 incidents! While unusually busy, that period reflected the growing challenges for rail workers.

Every incident is attended by British Transport Police officers, and, in turn, our chaplains are available to support them.

PC Ashley Firby (pictured), who works out of Bletchley in C-Division, spoke candidly about his work when he attended our Spring chaplains’ conference…

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“When we set off, walking the line in search of a body, we quickly become aware of how heavy our bags are. Our ‘suicide kit’ has almost everything we need to deal with a rail fatality. I won’t go into detail, but plastic gloves and body bags are included.

The weather can often be cold and wet, and we may have to walk miles in search of the victim’s body. Trains’ high speeds mean that, once the breaks have been applied, they can take a fair distance to stop.

We place markers wherever there are body parts, and once we arrive at the train, we have to search the underneath. Usually, passengers are watching us from the train’s windows. There’s always a funeral director on standby at incidents, but it’s the police officers, sometimes helped by paramedics, who remove the body from the track. We try to work on autopilot, but it’s still an horrific task.

Usually, the officers involved aren’t sent to break the news to the victim’s family.

But sometimes, if colleagues are engaged elsewhere, they have to do both jobs. That’s really hard – entering the victim’s family home, seeing photos of them, and meeting their relatives.

Suddenly, they become a ‘real person’.

With rail suicides becoming more common, me and my colleagues are

Chaplain Ron Keen

likely to attend many incidents like these during our careers. It’s difficult to share our stories with our own families —we don’t want to upset them. That’s where the railway chaplains come in.

Railway chaplains understand what we’ve seen and what we’re going through. We can talk freely and confidentially to them to face-to-face, and start to process our thoughts.”

Liam Johnston, our Executive Director, says: “We live in a world of pain and desperation. Each life lost represents a family and a person loved by God and for whom he sent Christ into the world.

“It’s in the aftermath of these terrible incidents that our chaplains seek to bring some sign of hope and reassurance of God’s love and compassion. Please pray for all those police officers involved in dealing with rail fatalities, and spare a thought for the chaplains who support them.”

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The value of chaplaincy to British Transport Police With around 3,000 officers, the British Transport Police is an integral part of the UK’s rail industry.

They serve all rail operators and their passengers, and also police London’s Underground, Docklands Light Railway and Emirates cable car, along with the Midland and Sunderland Metros, the Croydon Tramlink and the Glasgow Subway.

It’s no wonder, then, that Railway Mission chaplains come into contact with the BTP every day, offering officers a friendly face and someone to talk to.

Inspector Tara Doyle (pictured), based at Euston Station in London, explains how she and her team values our chaplaincy service…

“I think it’s invaluable! Officers and staff see it as an independent and non-judgmental service. Talking to a chaplain is seen as less 'threatening', perhaps, than talking to someone from inside the organisation.

I've seen, first hand, the benefits of having chaplains working alongside us, and being available for us to refer others to. Once people are told that the

Photo: Luke Chetwynd, used by permission

service is for everyone, regardless of their faith, reactions are very positive, and the uptake is high. I’ve heard lots of positive feedback from people who’ve talked to a chaplain.

Speaking as a team supervisor, from a welfare point of view, I’ve found that having someone around to chat with, face-to-face, is really important to my staff. Colleagues don’t always want to talk to me or their co-workers about their personal circumstances, but they’ll usually feel able to open up to a chaplain.

I see the chaplains as being almost part of my BTP unit here at Euston.

Just knowing that the chaplains are ‘there’ gives us a lot of reassurance.”

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Temporary garden sprouts new project idea Sometimes we’re blessed to see a seed of an idea begin to grow into something much bigger than we’d ever imagined.

Ruth McBean, chaplain for West Scotland, reports on how a temporary display could lead to a new station prayer room being developed.

of the public could decorate eggs and put them in the garden. Lots of people commented on the displays, and this gave me some great opportunities to chat with people about the meaning of Easter.

As a result of the event’s success, the station manager is now seriously considering creating a permanent prayer space in the station! He’s asked me to put forward some ideas, and so I’ve been visiting prayer rooms in our local area for inspiration.

It was over coffee with the new station manager at Glasgow Central that we chatted about Easter. Suddenly, he began to ask how he and his staff could mark the season at the station. I told him that as long as he didn’t want people in Easter bunny costumes to be involved, he could count me in (I don’t do bunnies at Easter!).

I went away and prayed about the shape that the station’s Easter celebrations might take. After a while, I felt the Lord giving me inspiration for two themes. The first was a garden and the second was a banqueting table.

The manager liked these ideas, so we set to work.

A few days before Easter, we ‘planted’ a small garden, using troughs of flowers hired from the parks department, in the main concourse. Then we set a table with a Celtic cross and Holy Communion symbols.

On Easter Day we also ran an Easter egg competition, so staff and members

Photo: Ruth McBean

Who would have thought that a little temporary garden would have grown into something this big?

Please pray that our plans for the prayer room will come to fruition, and that we can create a peaceful space for meaningful prayer and contemplation.

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Meet our new chaplains Dylis George, John Robinson, Chris Newport and Joshua Shinhmar (pictured, left to right) are supporting rail employees, transport police officers and the travelling public across London and the South-East of England.

Rising demand for our services, along with the handover of work from London City Mission earlier this year, has led to the new posts. And recruitment for more chaplains is still under way!

Dylis (39), who lives in the South East of London, is serving staff on the Underground’s 249 miles of tracks, which link together 270 manned stations.

A novice chef and mum of two, Dylis worked as a hospital chaplain after her Theology and Ministry studies. She’s an active member of Clapham Christian Fellowship.

She said: “One of my passions is cooking for family, friends and neighbours, as food breaks through barriers, allowing conversation to flow. I love preparing spicy, colourful dishes to bring people together.

“Everyone needs opportunities to share what’s on their minds, and that’s certainly true for railway staff, who bear enormous responsibilities. Sadly, I won’t be able to cook for them, but I’ll be able to offer opportunities to talk.

“My aim? I want to support and serve this great and diverse railway workforce to the best of my ability.”

John (50) from Kent is helping rail staff in the South East of London, and to the east of the main line between London and Brighton.

He’s primarily serving employees of the Southeastern and Southern train companies.

He lives in Lordswood, Chatham, and attends All Saints’ Church in Loose, although he’s planning a house move to Hythe soon.

John, who has three grown-up children, has previously worked as a hospice chaplain, and has spent time working with the YMCA.

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Railway Mission is pleased to announce that four new chaplains have joined our team “My job on the railways will be to care for rail staff experiencing life’s ups and downs, and to reassure them that they’re not alone.

“My aim? I want to show Christ’s love and compassion (in my own imperfect human way) to rail staff and passengers, and share the Gospel whenever possible and appropriate.”

Chris (61), of Stonehouse, Gloucester, is covering the West of London and its surrounding areas, out to Oxford in the north and Weymouth in the south.

He’s spending most of his time with staff at First Great Western.

Ex-trucker and transport enthusiast Chris used to drive HGVs and buses before moving into chaplaincy work 12 years ago. He and his wife, Clare, have five grown-up children between them, and attend Ebley Chapel near Stroud.

Chris said: “We enjoy walking our dog, and – when I get chance – I play the guitar, and follow golf and football.

“My aim? I want to impact the hearts and souls of railway people with the love and grace of the gospel.”

Joshua (46) is providing support in the South West of London, and to the west of the main line between London and Portsmouth.

He is primarily serving workers at South West Trains and Southern.

North Londoner Joshua, a gliding enthusiast who lives in Finchley, spends his spare time serving as a volunteer chaplain to RAF Cadets in Edmonton.

He’s also a keen mountain trekker.

He said: “I love getting out and about, and I’ll be doing a lot of that in my new job.

“My aim? I want to be effective in communicating the value and importance of our chaplaincy ministry.”

Would you like to sponsor one of our new chaplains in their work to take God’s love onto the railways across London and the surrounding areas?

The work of one chaplain costs around £100 per day. Please contact Anne, our administrator, for more information.

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How to support our new chaplains The Railway Mission provides vital chaplaincy support to the railway industry, for Network Rail, Train Operating Companies, British Transport Police, and the thousands of people engaged in providing rail links throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

Our support comes from people like you who see the value of the service we provide. You can help us in a number of ways.

We value your prayers as we meet any number of people every day on the railways. We never know who we might be helping next, either through word or deed, or by being a listening ear and providing comfort, encouragement and hope to people.

We also value your donations, which go a long way towards assisting us to maintain the high standard of support we are renowned for in the industry. A one-off or regular gift to us would enable us to continue our work effectively.

Thank you for your support.

WAYS TO GIVE Standing Order A Standing Order through your bank is one of the easiest ways to support us with regular giving

Gift Aid For UK taxpayers, don’t forget that by completing one of our Gift Aid forms we can claim an additional 25% of your gift amount from the Government

Online railwaymission.org/giving

Mail office@railwaychaplain.net Administrator The Railway Mission Room 66 Rugby Railway Station Warwickshire CV21 3LA Anne McCulloch

0771 897 1919

New chapter for last remaining Railway Mission Hall Prayers of thanksgiving marked the end of Railway Mission’s ownership of Brighton Calvary Evangelical Church – the last of its Mission Halls founded in the late 19th Century.

The celebration in April of the church and charity’s histories and future work was attended by Mission Trustees and staff, along with members of the nowthriving community church.

The church was founded by Brighton Railway Mission when it bought the site in 1894. The Mission had previously met in Brighton Station’s Waiting Room, where Sunday Bible meetings were initiated in the 1870s by Messrs Weller, Maple and Thynge (a ticket collector and two porters). They later approached Mrs Elizabeth Gates to ask if she would lead the group.

Mrs Gates reluctantly accepted their invitation, and Sunday meetings became so popular that bigger premises were sought. A building in Viaduct Road was purchased and, after some alterations, it was officially opened and named Brighton Evangelical Calvary Church in July, 1894.

The national Railway Mission was founded in 1881, and by 1900 the Brighton Mission was one of 270

Photo: Creative Commons Wikipedia

groups of Christian railwaymen and their families across the country registered with the national organisation.

Railway Mission hadn’t used the building for many years leading up to its sale, instead renting it out to the church congregation that meets on the site.

The recent sale means that the congregation can now adapt the site to their own needs.

Mission Chairman Keith Rose said that while the building’s sale to the church marked the end of an era, with God’s help the two organisations would soar.

“Railway Mission and Calvary Church will continue to work in partnership to promote the Gospel, and we’re now looking at how we can most effectively do that,” said Keith.

Changing the lives of future generations October is national Free Wills Month, when people aged 55 and over are given the opportunity to have a simple Will written or updated free of charge.

Railway Mission supporter Maureen explains why she’ll be making provision for our work in her Will.

“My late husband, Joe, worked on the railways in the Midlands all his working life. He started at the bottom of the ladder and worked his way up to become a train driver. He loved it! But about nine years ago, he lost a dear friend and colleague to bowel cancer. It hit Joe really badly, and he started to struggle in his own life. Of course, this affected us both.

“A few months later, Joe’s daughter from his previous marriage died in a road accident. Joe heard the news while at work, and he was taken back to the depot. It was there that a Railway Mission chaplain gave Joe his phone number and offered to chat. For ages, Joe didn’t want to talk to anyone about what he was going through, but eventually he bumped into that chaplain again. They went for a cup of tea, and Joe started to open up. They got together several times after that.

“Soon after Joe retired three years ago, he got really sick. Eventually, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and – before we knew it – he was living out his last days in hospital. It was then that

he told me about the chaplain. I contacted him, and he visited us in hospital.

A couple of weeks later, the chaplain visited again – this time to see how I was getting on without Joe. I’m really grateful for the chaplain’s support, and I want more people to experience the love and comfort he brought us both.

“That’s why I’ve included a gift to Railway Mission my Will.”

Will you help us, too?

Gifts provided in Wills enable Railway Mission to show God’s love to new generations of rail workers.

By leaving a gift, you can make a positive impact on train drivers and crews, station staff, engineers and British Transport Police officers. We can go on being there for people when they need someone to lean on.

To search for a solicitor near you taking part in Free Wills Month, or to get more information about Wills, please visit the campaign’s website: freewillsmonth.org.uk

Names in this story have been changed for privacy reasons.

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Scotland’s rail passenger services go Dutch “There’s a real buzz about the future of Scotland’s railways. The new £6bn ScotRail franchise is expected to bring improved services for passengers, and Abellio’s pledges include some new trains and upgraded stations.

Netherlands-based transport group Abellio has taken over the ScotRail franchise to operate most of Scotland’s trains for the next decade.

Nicola Goncalves, railway chaplain for East Scotland, was at the red carpet and champagne launch at Stirling Station. She reports on the handover from First ScotRail, and considers Railway Mission’s role during the changes.

The operator is also planning changes in fares, and better integration of rail services with ferries, buses and airports.

Photo: Nicola Goncalves

As the Celtic drummers’ beat resonated through Stirling Station on launch day, I thought about the thousands of rail workers who’d just gained a new employer!

The franchise change brings a mixture of pride, excitement and trepidation about the future. Pride because, as the mini-shortbreads were handed round, nobody could help but feel part of an important event in Scotland’s commercial history.

Excitement because, as the drum beat grew louder and the VIPs arrived, we were thrilled about Abellio’s plans. And trepidation because it will be the coming year or two that will reveal what Abellio’s plans look like on the ground.

For staff, this will be a period of adjustment and, no doubt, require new ways of working.

The franchise change has already brought many opportunities for Railway Mission to talk about and demonstrate our important work. Myself and my

Mission counterparts in Scotland, Ruth McBean and Dereck Grant, have been busy over recent months talking to staff anxious about the future.

During the bid process at the Scottish Parliament, I was fortunate to talk to several key members of the Abellio franchise team, including senior managers. I’m pleased to say that they viewed rail chaplaincy very positively.

As the launch day ceremony came to a close, and the last of the bacon and egg sandwiches were cleared away, I became conscious that Railway Mission was also entering an important phase in Scotland. It would be our job to roll out God’s red carpet to anyone who needed a confidential listening ear; to help them feel special in God’s eyes, and to help build their resilience for whatever lay ahead.

Please join us in praying for all those who work on Scotland’s passenger rail network.”

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Royal link to new plaques A metal casting and engraving firm that started out making plant labels for Queen Victoria’s gardens has helped to recreate three war memorials for Marylebone Station.

The originals, honouring rail workers who died in the First World War, were destroyed or lost over the years as the result of Blitz bombs and various rounds of station refurbishment.

A few years ago, Chiltern Railways joined forces with the Railways Heritage Trust to commission replicas to be made. The Royal Label Factory, part of Leander Architectural in Buxton, Derbyshire, became involved, and last month the new plaques were unveiled.

As chaplain for Marylebone, I felt privileged to be asked to dedicate the plaques to the memory of those who lost their lives in the First World War.

Thanks to a great deal of research by Chiltern Railways’ Business Development Director, Graham Cross, and graduate trainee David Heathfield, relatives of over 60% of the names on the memorials were present at the ceremony.

Andrew Hall, railway chaplain for the West Midlands, reports on his dedication of three new war memorials.

Some of those who attended had been previously unaware that they had relatives named on the memorials, and in some cases family reunions were initiated.

Photo: Andrew Hall

To coincide with the memorials’ unveiling and dedication, a film depicting the experiences of nine of the Marylebone railwaymen who fought in the Great War has been produced. The video is based on letters found in the National Archives from members of the Great Central Railway sent back from the Western Front to Marylebone Station.

It is available to view on YouTube at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAXG7nD5bnM

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Mission helps children to stay safe Ron Keen, Chaplain for South Wales and The Marches, worked alongside RNLI crew members to give lessons in safety to school children. Ron reports on his experience.

With their distinctive yellow waterproofs and white helmets, lifeboat crews are the heroes of the high seas, ready to sail into a storm to pluck a lost soul from choppy waters.

work. Our chaplains go to the aid of people in distress, perhaps in the midst of the choppy waters of life, and offer a firm hand to help them to safety.

So it was with admiration that I stood beside several RNLI volunteers to talk to the Year Seven pupils at their Safety Day. I’d been asked along to the school as part of a team from Arriva Trains Wales and Network Rail.

The children were really excited, and it was great to chat to them about Railway Mission’s work, and give them advice on staying safe near railways.

Modern trains, we told them, are deceptively quiet and extremely fast.

There were looks of amazement from the pupils when they heard that trains can travel at 125mph and take the length of 20 football pitches to stop!

At break time, we went into the school staffroom and chatted to some of the other visitors. One woman spoke to me about a tragedy she’d experienced last year, and I felt blessed to be there to listen to her story. She was clearly distressed about what she’d been through.

It later occurred to me that what Railway Mission does on the rail network has parallels with the RNLI’s

Photo: Richard Cook

Well here’s something we don’t often see – a lifeboat inside a railway station!

Richard Cook, chaplain for the North West, thought he was dreaming when he saw an inshore lifeboat parked on the concourse in Manchester Victoria Station.

“For a moment, I thought the roof had been leaking overnight and the RNLI had been called to assist!” said Richard.

Not one to miss out on anything, Richard went over for a chat with the RNLI volunteers, who, it turned out, had been given permission by Northern Trains to fundraise at the station.

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Photo: Steve Rowe Special thanks to staff member Lydia Clarke for her notes

Network Rail’s Mark Carne talks leadership The first of the Quadrant Quarterly Leadership Talks got under way at Milton Keynes in May with Network Rail’s Chief Executive Mark Carne as our inaugural speaker.

The talks are a Railway Mission initiative, developed from an idea formulated and organised by Area Coordinator for the South of England Steve Rowe.

Leaders recognised in their field are invited to address management and staff at the Quadrant:MK, Network Rail’s headquarters, and reveal, from experience, what they consider to be key elements of leadership.

In his talk, Mark focused on three important areas for growth which he proposed as leadership templates for Network Rail.

Safety and performance go hand in hand Structured continuous improvement is a key to effective, sustained growth The role of innovation and technology is requisite to the future of a digital railway Sharing from personal experience, Mark gave a candid and informative view of his involvement with leading organisations, and the potential of Network Rail as an innovative, ideasdriven, team-structured entity.

An audience of around 150 people enjoyed the first of three events scheduled for this year, with Network Rail Finance Director Patrick Butcher pencilled in for the next talk at midday on Wednesday August 12.

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Over to you!

A round-up of your Railway Mission news, views and involvement

me at our a great ti chocolate “We had f o ts ing. Lo coffee morn ten and the lemon ea a treat, cake was went down drizzle cake osed the money we cl too! I’ve en s your work. All the rd raised towa eir love.” – ies send th church lad Glasgow.

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Tim in Suffolk writes: “The ne st yl e Ra ilw ay wM is si on N ew s is excellent! I’d suggest that a form is included in fu tu more people to re to encourage send donations .”

D av id , a m an ag er fo r A be lli o ScotRail, write s: “We’re givi ng our staff informat ion about how Railway M is si on ch ap la in s ca n pr ov id e su pp or t in si tu at io ns in vo lv in g suicidal people . people to know It’s great for our that you’re ther e.” ues the past two iss r After reading ou of l ra e, seve of our magazin es ch ur ch e chaplains’ hom to say they’d like contacted us to ould w ch ur ch ur yo r support us. If ation about ou like more inform in touch. t work, please ge Haxby church coun cil’s Treasurer, James, writes: “Tha nk you to Richard Cook for the talk he gave us about his work as a railway chaplain. We’ve de cided to donate the proceeds from the lunch in the church hall to Railw ay Mission’s work.”

ission for you at the M my “Bless all of ith uing work w your contin ple - railway eo favourite p n. ob in Malver R – !” people

r th e Sp rin g “M an y th an ks fo gazine. I read it edition of your ma ver, and have co from cover to to a friend. I’m now passed it on my Mission g n i really enjoy se a cheque calendar, and enclo – Peter in .” towards your work . ire Cambridgesh

Various groups meet across the UK to pray regularly about our work. Ron Keen, chaplain for South Wales and The Marches, recently attended a Mission prayer group in Barry. Ron says: “Prayer support is essential to all of us chaplains, so please pray that groups like these will grow from strength to strength.”

If you’d like to find out if there’s a Mission prayer group that meets near you, or you’d like to start a new group, please give us a call.

Are you supporting Railway Mission or benefitting from our service in some way?

Write to: Over to You!, Railway Mission, Rugby Rail Station, Station Approach, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 3LA or email anne.mcculloch@railwaychaplain.net