Network Rail has announced new partnerships with 13 charities across Britain. This will build on its work within communities as an employer and provider of a key public service and strengthens its work to promote engineering as a career to young people.

The chosen charities’ work covers three areas: providing emotional support to the railway community or general public; providing help to the homeless and promoting engineering to young people. Whilst the total amount donated is £250,000, the charities will also receive additional support in a number of other ways including employee volunteering, professional careers advice, developing educational materials and supporting events. The support is in addition to the company’s work with its current ‘charity of choice’, the NSPCC, selected by its 37,000 employees.

Iain Coucher, chief executive at Network Rail said: “As we help deliver a vital public service we know the importance of being a responsible and active member of the community, and there is barely a part of Britain that we do not touch in one way or another. If we can help provide a homeless person with a bed for the night or retrain for a job, or inspire young people to begin a career in engineering, then we’ve played our part in making things better for everyone. I am proud that we are working with these charities; all of them make a real difference across the country.”