On Monday 13 January we hosted a parliamentary reception to celebrate the positive social impact delivered by our award-winning Feel Good Field Trips programme. We were delighted so many MPs, colleagues, partner organisations, and community groups were able to join us for the celebration, alongside pupils and teachers from some of the schools who benefitted from these trips.

See what attendees of our reception thought about Feel Good Field Trips

You can read more about the project in our report and view more photos from the reception.

Feel Good Field Trips were launched in April 2022 to build on Avanti’s schools programme, which connects young people from a range of backgrounds to opportunities across our route. Supported by Community Rail Lancashire, the project has provided 215 trips for 5,250 pupils aged four to 18, travelling 50,000 miles on the West Coast Main Line to 60 destinations. The entirely free trips have provided invaluable opportunities to participate in cultural, educational, and enriching experiences, promoting rail travel and careers.

We’re immensely proud of the unique experiences and learning opportunities our Feel Good Field Trips have offered young people local to our route. This amazing achievement is credit to Dave Savage and the support of everyone at Community Rail Lancashire, as well as colleagues at Avanti West Coast. Their dedication and enthusiasm to this initiative has enabled children to learn outside the classroom, visit new places and have fun. For many of these children it was the first time they had attended such trips or even been on a train. The impact these days out have had on learning and development has been profound and they have provided many memorable experiences for our colleagues too.

The reception showcased what the campaign has delivered and encouraged discussions on future projects to connect young people from all backgrounds to learning opportunities on the west coast. Pupils also got the chance to spot London landmarks, dress-up in railway uniform, and were all given goodie bags to take home. We are pleased to have had such positive feedback from those who attended.

There were speeches from Connor Naismith MP (Crewe and Nantwich), our Managing Director Andy Mellors, Richard Watts and Dave Savage from Community Rail Lancashire, Joanne Kerr from West Coventry Academy, and Lois Wilson from St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School in Crewe.

Speaking after the reception Connor Naismith MP, whose constituency benefitted from Feel Good Field Trips, said: “I was delighted to speak at the Avanti West Coast Feel Good Field Trips reception in Parliament.

“The Feel Good Field Trips programme has not only provided students with memorable experiences but has also broadened their horizons and sparked a newfound interest in the world around them. These trips have inspired curiosity and a love for learning.

“As the MP for Crewe and Nantwich, I am particularly proud to see the positive impact this programme has had on our young people, including the students and staff from Underwood West Academy in my constituency, who have been enthusiastic participants in this fantastic initiative.

“Thank you to Avanti West Coast for running this campaign, which has provided thousands of children with invaluable opportunities to participate in enriching experiences across the West Coast Mainline and connected our young people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds with opportunities along the route. We must ensure that railways remain a source of inspiration and opportunity for years to come.”