Millions of children around the world face violence, abuse and exploitation every day. Many have run away from homes where they were abused or neglected. Some are orphans. Others are abandoned because their families can’t afford to keep them. Many are running away from danger or being lured towards it. With nowhere safe to go and no one to protect them, children are targeted by criminal gangs and abusers.

For 25 years now Railway Children has been fighting for children living alone and at risk on the streets in Africa, India and here in the UK. We work at three levels to ensure long-term, lasting change:

• We reach these children first, before an abuser can, giving them immediate safety, shelter and protection.
• We fight to make their voices heard and work with families and communities to make sure they have a future without fear and to give every one of them a chance to reach their potential.
• We work with industry partners, politicians and policymakers to make sure the system changes to give vulnerable children the protection they need.

We won’t stop until no child ever has to live on the streets. Our corporate partners are by our side every step of the way

A charity partnership with Railway Children will change more lives than just your own. Our corporate partners each bring unique skills, specialisms and ideas to the relationship. We get a lot from working with businesses, but a good partnership has to bring real benefits to both parties.  So we give a lot back too.

• We’ll spend time getting to know you and can help you develop your CSR strategy. Then we’ll create a bespoke partnership agreement to meet those objectives.
• We’ll make sure it’s right for you and your team at whatever level you want to get involved
• We’ll engage and inspire your staff making sure they know what a difference they’re making every step of the way
• We’ll challenge them to push themselves on extreme events and work together in team-building activities to keep them motivated
• We’ll help you raise your profile as an ethically-minded company and introduce you to the existing network of corporate partners we have long-standing relationships with.

Our corporate partners help us reach children who need our help around the world. In India we work extensively at the country’s dangerous and chaotic railway stations where a child arrives alone every five minutes. We race to reach them first, like we did with Sanoj…

Sanoj’s Story
11-year-old Sanoj was mooching around the marketplace when he got talking to a stranger. The man said he was on his way to visit Sanoj’s dad. He offered to take Sanoj along.

As their train headed far away from Dehli, Sanoj started to suspect the man wasn’t telling the truth.  He realised he was in real danger. He managed to escape and get off the train, but now he found himself alone in a huge station.

He didn’t know that every minute he spent alone on a railway platform, he was a target: in danger of violence, exploitation or sexual abuse. He needed help but Sanoj didn’t know who he could trust. He felt a hand on his shoulder…

Sanoj was lucky
It was a Railway Protection Force Officer. Trained in child protection by Railway Children, the officer knew the signs that a child could be in danger.

At the next station, he took Sanoj to one of our Child Help Desks. With help from the police, our staff tracked down his mother. She’d been frantic with worry. One of our workers took Sanoj all the way back to Delhi and into his mother’s arms.

We couldn’t do what we do to help children like Sanoj without the incredible support of our partners. Whether as a whole organisation, or via employees making individual payroll donations, everything your business can do to help us will genuinely change children’s lives. If you are interested in finding our more about how your organisation can get involved with Railway Children contact our corporate team on d.ellis@railwaychildren.org.uk or m.mclaughlin@railwaychildren.org.uk