Have a story or piece of art or creative writing to share? Get in touch by emailing Amy at a.sargeson@railwaychildren.org.uk
We’ll never give your real name or use photos of you, so you’ll always stay anonymous.
Nineteen-year-old Harper is looking forward to a bright future, but it wasn’t always this way.
Not long ago, she was going through a very tough time and was struggling with her mental health. Overwhelmed and not knowing where to turn, she was spending long hours near railway tracks.
When she met Railway Children, things started to change. With the right support, Harper found a way forward and started building the life she wanted.
Watch her story to see how she got through it – and know that, whatever you’re facing, there’s always someone who can help.
Play Video
With this money, we can help young people facing the same challenges he once did to find a way forward.
Last year, 16-year-old Dante spent Christmas in emergency foster care.
He hadn’t been attending school and, at home, life was chaotic, cold and dominated by conflict.
A year later, Dante is happily living in a permanent foster care placement. He’s started an apprenticeship and is attending college one day a week. He also plans to move out of foster care this year and into his own flat.
“Dante has been such a big part of his own progress,” says his project worker, Amelia.
“He’s earning his own money, getting himself to work and attending college. He doesn’t need me anymore – and that’s the aim. That’s where we want young people to get to. Dante now has the skills, the resilience and the confidence to go out and do it himself.”
Dante has made an incredible turnaround in his life. He’s now joined our Youth Participation programme, where he’s helping shape the future of our work.
Dylan, a transgender young person, was referred to us after being physically assaulted.
With the help of his youth worker, Dylan recovered from the trauma of the assault. We also helped him work through issues he was having around his transition.
Dylan uses art, writing and music as a way to express what’s in his head and calm down when he’s feeling stressed.
Thinking about the year ahead, 16-year-old Erin penned the following goals:
With the support of her youth worker, Erin is making these goals a reality in 2025.
We recently collaborated with other members of the Bishop Line Community Rail partnership to speak to more than 100 Year 8 students about the importance of rail safety and mental wellbeing.
On 27th February 2025 the Railway Children Big Station Sleepout returned for the sixth annual event in 11 railway stations across the UK.
Mary Mushi, Safeguarding and Technical Lead in Tanzania, recently visited colleagues in Railway Children India to share learnings on family work across the two countries.
How we give young people the tools to drive real change.
Together, we can give all young people the tailored support they deserve.
Child Exploitation Awareness Day: How Railway Children protects children at risk of exploitation.