Media centre

Monday 20 Aug 2007

MEDIA INVITATION – WARRINGTON SET FOR TWO DAYS OF NO MESSIN' SUMMER FUN

Region & Route:

Date: Thursday 23 August 2007 Time: 1pm (when Helen Southworth MP is due to visit the event) Venue: The Peace Centre, Peace Drive, Warrington, WA5 1HQ Contact: Network Rail Media Relations, 0161 880 3142 or (07798 858776 on the day)

Young people in Warrington will have the opportunity to take part in approximately 30 free activities next week as part of Network Rail's No Messin' Live! summer campaign. Activities available will include, wrestling, football, kick boxing, judo, netball, basketball and badminton. There will be a DJ workshop, street dance, modern dance and Playstation sessions. Visitors can try their hands at a climbing wall, riding motorbikes, skateboarding, learning circus skills, designing T-shirts and giving their nails the nail-art treatment. The event, at the Peace Centre in Warrington on 23-24 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. Ali Tombling, Railway Crime Education Manager at Network Rail said: "Warrington and the surrounding area 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. Trains regularly travel in excess of 100mph on the west coast route. If you’re on the tracks, they can’t swerve out of the way, and can take up to 20 football pitches just to come to a stop. “Many of the 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 the 24th 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.