Media centre

Tuesday 7 Aug 2007

MEDIA INVITATION: BRISTOL SET TO GET THE NO MESSIN' MESSAGE

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western

Date: Thursday 9 & Friday 10 August Time: 12 - 5pm Venue: City Academy, Russell Town Avenue, Bristol, BS5 9JH Contact: Network Rail Media Relations, 01793 515267

Young people in Bristol will have the opportunity to take part in a range of over 20 free activities this week as part of Network Rail's No Messin' Live! summer campaign. Among the many activities available will be football, circus skills, boxing, dancing, DJ-ing and taekwondo. The event, at Bristol's City Academy on 9-10 August, aims 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. The event is free for all young people aged between 9-16 years old. John Gill, Network Rail's Area General Manager for the West Country, said: "Bristol is a hotspot for rail crime, so it is important that young people are aware of the dangers of hanging around or playing on the railway. Many of these people who use the railway as a playground do so because they think they've nothing else to do. "No Messin' Live! aims to get young people interested in different activities and encourages them to try something new. By doing so, we hope to make them think twice about playing on the railway, and avoiding potentially life threatening situations." Twelve No Messin' Live! events are taking place throughout the summer holidays across the UK. They are backed by boxing hero Amir Khan who launched the campaign on 24 July in London. Says Amir Khan: "There's no excuse for mucking about on train tracks. You may think you're clever and fast but a train is quicker and what's clever about getting yourself killed? No Messin' Live! is a great way of finding a better way to spend your time, whether it's trying out new sports, like boxing, or skills such as mixing and having a laugh with your mates too." 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.