LNER Awarded White Ribbon Accreditation

On White Ribbon Day LNER has announced that it has received White Ribbon accreditation.

The White Ribbon charity campaigns to prevent violence against women and girls by encouraging active allyship from men and boys. It holds an annual awareness day each November.

LNER has made a pledge to develop and implement a three-year plan to educate, influence and change behaviours within its workforce and the wider community. LNER employees will be encouraged to become White Ribbon Ambassadors and Champions, to help spread the charity’s message about the power of men’s allyship to end violence and encourage a more equal society.

In honour of the accreditation, and to begin its awareness raising activity, LNER named one of its York to London King’s Cross service’s ‘The White Ribbon’. Information was shared with customers about White Ribbon’s ambition to make the world a safer place for women and girls and the role everyone can take in achieving that aim.

Warrick Dent, Strategic Lead for White Ribbon and Safety and Operations Director at LNER, said:
“The safety of the people who travel with us and work for us is paramount. Everyone’s welfare is key, and safeguarding is a priority. By becoming White Ribbon accredited we are adding our voice to the campaign by encouraging our colleagues to be role models and spread the message around allyship to bring about positive change, both in our workplace and wider society.”

White Ribbon UK says the importance of its work and need for greater awareness and action is seen in the lived experiences of women and girls across the UK. According to information it has shared from the Office for National Statistics (ONS, 2023), 1.4 million women experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2023, with 70 per cent of women in the UK saying they had experienced sexual harassment in public (APPG for UN Women, 2021).

Anthea Sully, Chief Executive of White Ribbon UK, said:
“White Ribbon Accredited Organisations can make a real difference towards ending violence against women by promoting a culture of respect and equality among their staff and wider communities. By raising awareness among employees, people can learn how to become allies and call out violent and abusive behaviour when they see it. We are delighted to welcome LNER as one of our White Ribbon Accredited Organisations and are looking forward to working with them.”