Tag: #fundraising

Our Group Managing Director Andy Ridout and Rail Director Michael Schruyers, were delighted to attend another great Institution of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE) Scottish Section Dinner at the Marriott Hotel in Glasgow on 14th November.

A very big thank you goes out to everyone attending the dinner who donated so generously and raised £3,681 for children’s charity Railway Children!

Andy Ridout, Advance TRS Group MD, has been championing the charity for a number of years and is delighted with the amount raised – another substantial donation for a great cause, which will go towards helping the most vulnerable children worldwide.

“I can’t thank guests of the IRSE Scottish Section Dinner enough for their contributions” comments Andy.

“It’s incredible to see so many from the rail industry come together to change the lives of thousands of disadvantaged children each year.”

Railway Children is an international children’s charity, with outreach teams operating out of the UK, India and East Africa. Donations help to fund street teams that seek out children living in squalid conditions on the streets, where the charity’s team of experts can meet the child’s immediate needs and attempt to reintegrate them back into normality.

Since establishing in 2011, giving back to those less fortunate and advancing others has been a central motivator for founder Andy Ridout and the growing Advance TRS team, with new challenges, including the Oakleaf Firewalk, being completed every year.

Read more about our fundraising activities.

Thursday 10th October marks World Mental Health Day and in true Advance TRS fashion, our bravest team members are taking on another challenge. In a bid to raise awareness for mental health and money for a great charity, the team will be focusing their minds over matter and walking on more than 500°C hot coals. 

Since establishing, charity fundraising and awareness-raising have been a key priority for Founder Andy Ridout and the wider Advance TRS team. This latest effort will see our firewalkers take part in an hour-long training seminar by two-time Guinness World Record holder Scott Bell before stepping onto the embers. We wish them the best of luck and will have the ambulance on speed dial.

Please click here to donate and help our team reach their goal.

The charity

The event is hosted by Oakleaf, a Surrey-based mental health charity which also works as a social enterprise to provide vocational training for those suffering from mental health issues.

Oakleaf Enterprise was registered as a charity in 1997 and has since then worked hard to benefit people in need. Their main focus is delivering vocational training and work experience in upholstery, horticulture and IT, enabling clients to gain new skills, as the first step on their return to the workplace.

About mental health

Mental health problems can present in a wide variety of ways and out of Guildford, Waverley and Woking’s 214,900 population of 18 to 64-year-olds, it is estimated that 19,242 people suffer mixed depression and anxiety. 

Overall, one in four people suffers from anxiety and stress which can have a considerable impact on their work life. Recognising problems early and implementing initiatives to support staff and colleagues will be of real benefit to them. 

At Advance TRS, we understand that reducing work-related stress can be hugely beneficial to all, and take our obligation to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees seriously. Our comprehensive wellness programme and mental health awareness training have recently been recognised as Advance TRS were shortlisted as finalists in the Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing category in the Solent Business Awards 2019. 

Follow our fundraising activities on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn for the latest news and take a look at our Advance Advice on Mental Health in the workplace for further information.

Advance TRS’s latest charity fundraising activity was somewhat less strenuous than our usual extreme challenges for good causes. The team competed in a company ‘Bake Off’ to raise money for Macmillian Cancer Support.

Everyone made a fantastic effort to support the team Bake Off, bringing in impressive home bakes, donating or just eating! Our judges ate their way through 10 different bakes before judging Chantal’s Advance TRS inspired cake and Steve’s surprisingly tasty New Zealand apple cake the very worthy winners!

The main controversy of the morning still remains – did Mick bake the cake or is Mrs Schruyers to thank…?

Macmillian Cancer Support

Macmillian takes the time to understand the support people need to live their lives as fully as they can. From the moment of diagnosis and whenever they’re most needed, Macmillian here to help people find their best way through. Their help is totally focused on each individual person, so everyone receives the support that’s best for them.

  • Every day around 1,000 people across the UK will find out that they have cancer
  • It’s now estimated that half of all people will receive a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lives.
  • Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with an average of around 150 cases diagnosed every day
  • Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with 330,000 men living with prostate cancer in the UK.

People living with Cancer in the workforce:

  • In 2015, there were an estimated 890,000 people of working age living with cancer in the UK. This is set to increase to 1,150,000 by 2030.
  • An estimated 1 in 3 people living with cancer are of working age.
  • 85% of people with cancer who were employed when diagnosed say it was important for them to continue work after diagnosis.

Follow our fundraising activities on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn for the latest news.