We are committed to keeping our customers and staff safe on-board our trains, and we’re also proud of our colleagues who have gone above and beyond to help their local communities. Whilst some of us have been taking care of these extra safety measures, others have been raising money and helping in other ways. From virtual bike rides to free biscuits, the team at CrossCountry have been actively supporting those around us over the last four months. Read on to see how we’ve been committed to helping others and keeping our customers and colleagues safe.
CrossCountry charity work
Virtual bike ride for the NHS
Bournemouth Driver and Company Council Chair John Hay has been supporting his dad to raise money for the NHS through a virtual bike ride.
Jim Hay, 83, wanted to find ways to help those in need (and help pass the time!). He’s taken on the challenge of virtually cycling from his home in Portland, Dorset, to the Nightingale Hospital in London. Jim’s initial target was £500 but he’s raised over £1,000!
International Nurses Day
As part of International Nurses Day on Tuesday on 12 May, CrossCountry donated biscuits to Wythenshawe Hospital in the Manchester area.
On behalf of CrossCountry Andrew Marsh, Head of Catering arranged for a selection of biscuits and goodie bags to be donated to the registered nurses who work at Wythenshawe Hospital.
Andrew Marsh, Head of Catering said:
“The NHS are working hard more than ever and the least we can do is send a little thank you. Hopefully, they were able to enjoy a well-deserved break.”
On-board charity initiative raises over £20,000
Our on-board initiative allows customers to make an optional donation whenever they purchase items from the catering trolley.
Despite the initiative being cut short when catering was suspended, we have been able to raise more than £20,000 since launching in July 2019.
Thank you to everyone who has embraced the concept on behalf of the charities we are supporting. There is no doubt that they will be glad of the contributions now more so than ever.
£3,745 raised for Tim's army
Our Stakeholder Liaison Manager Jody Ball took part in ‘Miles for Moseley’, a charity initiative being led by one of Jody’s close friends.
Over the six-week campaign, Jody and her friends covered 874 virtual miles - the equivalent of Lands’ End to John O’Groats. They did this from their homes to raise money for the Queen Elizabeth (QE) Hospital and Moseley Hall Hospital, both in Birmingham.
The fundraising campaign is all down to Jody’s inspirational friend, Tim Hartill. Tim suffered a bleed on the brain the day after his 29th birthday last year and recovered at Moseley Hall.
Tim said: “I cannot thank the critical care and rehabilitation staff enough. I was told I wouldn’t regain any movement or control on my left side, but I was determined to prove them wrong. My goal is to be walking again by the end of this year.” To date, an impressive £3,745 has been raised.
Helping from home
Our Retail Service Manager, Paul Guest, used his time at home to help NHS staff and care workers. With his 3D printing skills, Paul has been able to make face masks to give away to those who need them. As part of a wider online group, Paul has raised £3,999 to date, which is spent on materials to make the vital PPE.
Hidden disabilities sunflower scheme
We’re supporting the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme. Not all disabilities are visible, and some aren’t immediately obvious to passengers and staff on-board our trains. The scheme provides discreet ways for passengers to communicate to staff that they may require help during their journey. This is usually communicated via a visible lanyard, which can be collected at most stations or online.
For some people, wearing a face covering on public transport may not be possible. If you have any queries about this, head to our FAQ page.
Our safer pledge to you
As we continue to follow Government guidelines, here are just a few changes we’ve made to keep you safe on our trains:
• Extra cleaning on all trains, including handrails, buttons and toilet facilities.
• More cleaning staff to reduce the time between cleans
• More audits to closely monitor cleaning standards across our trains
• New signage on our trains to help you ‘Stay safe & stay apart’
• Added extra space where possible by running trains with more carriages
Keeping it clean
We are taking extra measures as part of our ongoing commitment to ensure staff and customers are kept safe during the pandemic. We’ve employed an additional 35 cleaners across our network to support with these further cleaning measures. The additional headcount means we can clean our trains from top to bottom on a more frequent basis.
Social distancing labels on-board
To help with on-board safety regarding seating, we’ve installed social distancing labels. Our on-board reservation screens have also been updated, outlining which seats are ‘not for public use’.
Seat-back cards will also be put in place to ensure that reserved seats are clearly labelled for everyone on-board.
