To celebrate 200 years of the modern railway, as part of the Railway 200 national celebration, BCIMO are holding a Family Day for charity on 17th May. They are delighted to announce that, in addition to their four initial charities, they will also be raising money for Railway Benefit Fund which supports current, former and retired railway people and their dependents across the UK, and its President, Pete Waterman OBE, will be opening the event.
Railway Benefit Fund – also known as RBF – was founded as the Railway Benevolent Institution in 1858 by George Glyn, a successful banker and MP with a real passion for the railway and its workers. RBF is a non-membership charity that provides financial support to the rail community and their dependents across the UK. They have been supporting railway people for over 160 years.
Every four minutes somebody reaches out to RBF for help and advice. They offer a range of support services, including financial grants, confidential advice, online resources, and a dedicated legal helpline. These support services are designed to help individuals and families navigate life’s unexpected challenges, such as illness, injury, and financial difficulties.
Their support extends beyond passenger rail, encompassing the entire railway ecosystem, including freight, ancillary services, and the wider supply chain.
As a non-membership charity, RBF rely solely on the generosity of their supporters to continue supporting railway people. These contributions make a real difference in the lives of railway workers and their families.
As a teenager, Pete Waterman OBE, went to work on the railways, and despite the hardships of the environment, he recognised the importance of community within the sector… the role of the ‘railway family’. Although later hugely successful within the music industry, he still maintains that had the Great Western Railway’s depot in Wolverhampton not closed, he would have probably stayed working in the railways all his life. This passion and advocacy for rail remained with him though, and in 2018 he became President of the RBF, recognising its importance to the railway community and, when BCIMO asked him to support the Fund as part of its charity fundraising for Family Day, Pete was only too happy to come along and open the event at the VLRNIC!
Railway Benefit Fund joins the four special charities chosen by the BCIMO team, including The Kaleidoscope Plus Group, which provides mental health and wellbeing services, Railway Children, which supports vulnerable children, 4Louis, which supports families who have lost a baby, and Young Lives vs. Cancer, which works with children and their families. Like RBF, all rely on fundraising, and, with that in mind, BCIMO is hoping to raise a minimum of £10,000 to help them deliver their missions, but the more Family Day can raise, the more help the charities can deliver!
One of the ways in which local, regional and national businesses can help BCIMO to meet its fundraising target is by sponsoring the event, with a range of packages available from ‘Bronze’ for £250 to ‘Platinum’ for £2000. In return, businesses will receive significant promotion both in the run up to and on the day of the event. For those with smaller budgets, donations of £50+ will also be very much appreciated! ‘Gold’ and ‘Platinum’ sponsors will also have their logo displayed on BCIMO’s T69 tram, their primary mule vehicle used for innovation projects.
To read more about the event and how you can get involved, the benefits of becoming a sponsor or to simply book tickets, visit the BCIMO Family Day webpage.
Alongside passion for his charity work, Pete also talked in depth about his lifelong journey in and around the railways – and a feature on his ‘railway journey’ will be published on BCIMO’s Media Centre next week.
Pete Waterman OBE, reflecting on his role as President of Railway Benefit Fund on the RBF website, said: “I’m a big fan of RBF, I have been for 25 years, and am proud to be their President and help raise the profile of the great work we do. The history of the charity is just incredible, some of its patrons in the past have included Charles Dickens. It’s so rewarding to be part of RBF and knowing we are supporting our railway community during challenging times is incredibly rewarding
Talking about the BCIMO Family Day, including his own Black Country roots, he added: “The RBF are really pleased to be supporting BCIMO… I’m looking forward to it. I love Dudley… I might be from Wednesbury, but Dudley’s the place to be! We’ll see you on Family Day.”
Jo Kaye, RBF’s CEO said: “Celebrating 200 years of the modern railway with BCIMO at their family day is an honour for Railway Benefit Fund. We value this opportunity to raise awareness and funds for our work supporting railway people across the UK. We sincerely hope everyone will join us in making this a successful and memorable event for all the charities involved.”
Olivia Brown, Operations & Marketing Manager at BCIMO, said: “We’re really excited to add Railway Benefit Fund to the very special charities we’ve already chosen for Family Day, and also looking forward to welcoming Pete to visit the VLRNIC and open the event. Our mission to raise money for these charities is very important to us, and we really hope that businesses will support us through sponsorship or donation, and the local and rail communities will come along and help us reach – if not exceed! – our fundraising goal.”
For more information on BCIMO or the VLRNIC, please visit the BCIMO website or click Contact Us to make an enquiry / sign up to our mailing list to make an enquiry.