On Friday, May 17, high schools from Stockport convened at Edgeley Park for a friendly football tournament and a railway safety educational session.
Since 2022, Network Rail has collaborated with the Stockport County Community Trust to teach young people about railway safety and promote healthy activities.
The event began at 1pm with participation from Stockport School, Stockport Academy, Poynton High School, and Laurus Cheadle Hulme. Between matches, the students had the opportunity to learn about railway safety.
Chris McLaughlin, Network Rail’s North West route community safety manager, said: “It’s been fantastic to celebrate our partnership with Stockport County Community Trust by welcoming girls from across Stockport to take part in the football festival.
“We’ve been working closely with Stockport County Community Trust for two years now, providing railway safety information at matches, school visits and during the summer holidays. I look forward to continuing this fantastic teamwork.”
Matthew Bailey, social inclusion lead at Stockport County Community Trust, said: “The Trust is so grateful for the support we’ve received from Network Rail throughout the academic year.
“Our organisations share many core values and objectives for young people in our community, including the provision of football opportunities for girls. With that in mind, we were delighted to invite the high school students over Edgeley Park and hope they all had a memorable day.”
The tournament was well-attended, with over thirty girls participating and each team playing six matches. Ultimately, Stockport School won the Network Rail trophy after a series of intense games.
Navendu Mishra, the MP for Stockport, also attended to support the event.
Navendu Mishra, MP for Stockport, said: “It was fantastic to attend Network Rail and Stockport County’s rail partnership event promoting rail safety and healthy play for young people on Friday.
“I’m so pleased Stockport County have been promoted to League One, and can’t wait to see them build on their success next season. Thanks to Network Rail and Stockport County for hosting this tournament.”
Additionally, when they were off the field, the future Lionesses received a crucial railway safety briefing from Network Rail.
In the North West route*, there were 2,446 reported instances of railway trespass or vandalism last year. Specifically, in the Stockport borough, there were 86 incidents, with Stockport station noted as a particularly affected area.
The partnership aims to engage young people in community sports to foster good physical and mental health and reduce the likelihood of railway trespass.
Looking ahead, Network Rail and Stockport County plan to expand their citizenship workshops to primary schools as part of the Club’s Hatters in the Community program.
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