SWR employees select new charity partners

South Western Railway (SWR) is delighted to announce partnerships with two new charities, Surrey Search and Rescue and Daisy Chains.

Nominated and selected by SWR employees, these two local charities help and support vulnerable people. Daisy Chains is an Isle of Wight charity which helps children and their families when a child is diagnosed with a life limiting illness, long term health issue or disability. The charity offers financial help to families that have children requiring treatment at mainland hospitals as well as help pay for any support or equipment a family needs.

Surrey Search and Rescue is a specialist organisation which works with emergency services, including British Transport Police (BTP), to help find or rescue missing people. The charity has 85 volunteer responders specialising in using foot, and dog teams to locate individuals often over large areas of wilderness.

Surrey Search and Rescue and Daisy Chains rely on donations from members of the public to purchase equipment and provide services, and over the next 12 months colleagues from SWR will help raise money for these charities through special events. 

Mac Andrade, South Western Railway’s Major Projects Director, said:

"I’m delighted colleagues have selected these charities, and it reflects our commitment to making a difference for communities across our network. Over the coming year, I’m looking forward to working closely with Surrey Search and Rescue and Daisy Chains to help raise money and support their projects.”

James Rossell, Surrey Search and Rescue’s Charity Trustee, said:

"We're over the moon to have been selected by employees at SWR. Our charity supports Surrey Police and BTP to search for vulnerable missing people like those suffering with dementia, lost children or people who want to hurt themselves.

"Last year, we were the busiest search and rescue team in Great Britain and 2019 is on track to be another busy one! We're hoping the support from SWR will allow us to make things easier for our team of 85 volunteer responders by helping to raise money for training and equipment costs."

Mandy Fuller, Daisy Chains’ Founder and Fundraising Manager, said:

"Daisy Chains is delighted to have been chosen as one of SWR’s charities for the coming year. We are very much looking forward to working together to help the families we support in our local community.

"Our families are often travelling hundreds of miles every week, some for life changing treatment and care, which can be a huge and often unexpected financial burden. We are here to support children from their diagnosis to the end of their journey, whatever the outcome may be."