Media centre

Friday 7 Sep 2007

14,000 YOUNG PEOPLE GET THE NO MESSIN' MESSAGE

Region & Route:

National

Over 14,000 young people across the UK took part in a range of free activities this summer as part of Network Rail's No Messin' Live! campaign. Twelve No Messin' Live! events took place throughout the summer holidays. Among the many activities available were football, circus skills, boxing, dancing, DJ-ing and taekwondo. The events aimed to raise awareness of railway safety amongst young people by giving them ideas about positive ways to spend their time, rather than play on the railway. Ian Chapman, Network Rail's National Railway Crime Education Manager, said: "We are really pleased how well all the events have gone and how many people have taken part. By getting young people interested in different activities, we are hoping that the events have encouraged them to try something new and think twice about playing on the railway." "A train can travel at up to 125 miles an hour and takes the length of up to 20 football pitches for it to stop. There is a very real risk to people mucking around of the tracks, and we are committed to raising awareness of these risks to prevent pointless tragedies." The events were backed by boxing hero Amir Khan who launched the campaign on 24 July in London by sparring with Hollyoaks star Claire Cooper ('Jacqui Mcqueen'). Amir Khan said: "It's really important to give kids a chance to do something positive with their spare time. It’s great to support an initiative like No Messin’, which is a free opportunity for them to focus on something worthwhile rather than risking their lives on the train tracks. I have been boxing professionally since the age of 11 and it has allowed me to remain focused and put my energy into something that I could make a career out of." The No Messin' campaign isn't just for the holidays. Network Rail has a team of dedicated Railway Crime Education Managers working closely with other parts of the railway industry, offering railway safety information and visiting schools, young offending teams, youth clubs and local authorities throughout the UK.