Media centre

Notes to Editors

*Spectra deliver the Care Leaver Covenant- a promise made by private, public or voluntary organisations to provide support for care leavers aged 16-25 to help them to live independently,

Empowering Communities partners are: Arup, Costain, HS2 Ltd, Mace Dragados, Network Rail, Skanska, STRABAG

Network Rail

We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of Britain's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in Britain and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

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Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

Arup

Is an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, architects, consultants and technical specialists, working across every aspect of today’s built environment. Together we help our clients solve their most complex challenges – turning exciting ideas into tangible reality as we strive to shape a better world. Our aims influence more than just our day-to-day work – they inspire us to look for greater outcomes from everything we do. Our community engagement programme is specifically aligned with what we call ‘social usefulness’. One way we demonstrate usefulness is by pursuing projects, initiatives and partnerships which improve the lives of those most in need. We bring our practical, strategic and inventive skills to whatever challenge we’re set, locally and across the world.

Costain

Helps to improve people’s lives with integrated, leading edge, smart infrastructure solutions across the UK’s energy, water, transportation and defence markets. We help our clients improve their business performance by increasing capacity, improving customer service, safeguarding security, enhancing resilience, decarbonising and delivering increased efficiency. Our vision is to be the UK’s leading smart infrastructure solutions company. We will achieve this by focusing on blue chip clients whose major spending plans are underpinned by strategic national needs, regulatory commitments, legislation or essential performance requirements. We offer our clients leading edge solutions that are digitally optimised through the following five services which cover the whole lifecycle of their assets: future-shaping strategic consultancy; consultancy and advisory; digital technology solutions; asset optimisation and complex programme delivery.  Our culture and values underpin everything we do. For more information visit www.costain.com

Mace

Is a UK-based construction consultancy and Dragados is a global engineering specialist. The two companies bring their talents together in a joint venture to deliver HS2’s station at Euston, combining project and programme management skills and experience, with specialist engineering knowledge. On a confined site in central London, the Mace Dragados team will deliver a brand-new station including a new station concourse, platforms for high speed trains and improved connections to Euston and Euston Square Underground stations. 

Skanska

Is a world leader in construction and project development on select markets in the Nordic region, Europe and USA. Driven by the Group’s values, Skanska wants to contribute to a better society. Skanska provides innovative, sustainable solutions for both simple and complex assignments. Skanska has about 35,000 employees, and 2019 revenue totalled SEK 177 billion.

STRABAG SE

Is a European-based technology group for construction services, a leader in innovation and financial strength. Our services span all areas of the construction industry and cover the entire construction value chain. We create added value for our clients by our specialised entities integrating the most diverse services and assuming responsibility for them. We bring together people, materials and machinery at the right place and at the right time in order to realise even complex construction projects – on schedule, of the highest quality and at the best price. The hard work and dedication of our more than 75,000 employees allow us to generate an annual output volume of around € 16 billion. At the same time, a dense network of numerous subsidiaries in many European countries and on other continents is helping to expand our area of operation far beyond the borders of Austria and Germany. More information is available at www.strabag.com.

The Care Leaver Covenant, launched in October 2018, is funded by the Department for Education and delivered by Spectra, a social value agency based in Wolverhampton.

It was launched to tackle the disadvantages that young people leaving care face when they become independent adults. Around 10,000 young people leave care each year. Around 40% of care leavers aged 19-21 are NEET; 25% of the prison population are experienced.

Organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors sign up to the Covenant and create practical, tangible offers and opportunities for care leavers relating to employment, education and training, safety and security, health, financial independence and independent living.

There are over 160 published offers on the Covenant’s bespoke app and website and more than 200 organisations have signed up to the Covenant. 

Covenant signatories that are deemed to go above and beyond in their outreach to the care leaver community are called Signatory Partners, they include Amazon UK & Ire, Compass Group UK & Ire, Engie, Lendlease, Metro Bank and Tuckers Solicitors. For more information visit: www.mycovenant.org.uk