To show its support for International Men's Day next Sunday, 19 November, TransPennine Express (TPE) has unveiled one of its trains wrapped in a vinyl that proclaims the company's partnership with the men's suicide prevention charity, Andy's Man Club.
TransPennine Express worked with Andy's Man Club to design the wrap that raises awareness of men's mental health and is displayed on a Class 185 train that operates services throughout the north of England. With suicide being the biggest killer of men under 50, TransPennine Express and Andy's Man Club want to end the stigma around men's mental health and help men through the power of conversation.
To complement Andy's Man Club's work, over 750 TransPennine Express colleagues have completed ‘Safeguarding on Transport' training, introduced 500 body-worn cameras for front line staff, and promoted 34 Safeguarding Champions across its network who can provide guidance to anyone needing support and advice when dealing with a vulnerable person or a difficult situation.
Earlier this year, British Transport Police (BTP) and the Department for Transport awarded the company Safeguarding on Rail Accreditation through the efforts of colleagues who in the past year intervened over 300 times to support vulnerable people when they were recognised.
Elaine Roberts, co-founder of Andy's Man Club welcomed the train into Hull Train Station from Liverpool Lime Street to mark its maiden journey. She set up the charity following the death of her son, Andrew Roberts, who sadly took his own life aged 23 in early 2016. Andy's Man Club now has over 120 free support groups nationwide where men can talk in a safe, judgement-free and non-clinical environment about the issues affecting them.
Anyone wishing to contact Andy's Man can do so online at https://andysmanclub.co.uk/find-your-nearest-group/. They can also contact Samaritans, free, 24/7, 365 days a year, on 116 123, online at www.samaritans.org, or by email jo@samaritans.org.
Chris Jackson, Managing Director at TPE said: “Charities such as Andy's Man Club are life savers for so many and we're extremely proud to work with them ahead of International Men's Day to unveil the new livery on our train.
“If just one person sees the train and it gives them the confidence to talk about the problems they are facing then our train wrap will have made a difference.”
“As well as working with charities such as Andy's Man Club, we've taken steps to equip our colleagues with the skills to recognise and support vulnerable people on the railway.
“We've made some fantastic progress on safeguarding this past year and I can't thank our people enough for the work they put in on the front line. However, there is always more we can do. With the help of charities such as Andy's Man Club and by following our new blueprint to make journeys better we hope to achieve much more.”
Luke Ambler, co-founder of Andy's Man Club said: “A massive thank you to TPE for their support in creating a unique train wrap for Andy's Man Club. As a donation led charity, we are extremely grateful to receive support of this nature and we know that the train will get in front of men in need at the right time.”
