Making a positive contribution

The scale of Tube Lines’ programme means that we are active in most areas of London and we seek to be the kind of neighbour that makes a real contribution to the quality of local life. This is why we are committed to helping local organisations and charities through active involvement and engagement, as well as corporate donations and sponsorships. We also support and encourage employees’ charitable activities through our Community Support Fund.

“Our commitment goes beyond donating money,” explains Community Relations Manager Sara Mohideen. “We provide active support for a range of charities and community initiatives, particularly those which both underpin our company values and are located in areas where we work.”

Developing links with education

We are particularly interested in promoting engineering as a career choice amongst the diverse communities in London and in 2007 we supported the government-funded Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network (STEMNET) project by co-hosting a workshop with London Underground for 60
13 to 14-year-olds preparing to make their GCSE choices. To mark Engineering Your Future week, we also ran a one-day session for 25 careers teachers to help build awareness of construction and engineering as career choices.

Community sponsorship

Tube Lines supports a number of community ventures, such as the New London Orchestra, a charity that works with communities to create and perform pieces of music inspired by their locality.

The ‘Newham Welcomes the World’ series of annual large-scale community music projects runs from 2007 to 2012, exploring different aspects of the changing nature of the area from 2007 until the Olympics in 2012. The 2007 project celebrated the completion of the international rail link in Stratford and the beginning of a time of change and renewal in Newham. It was performed by children and adults from across Newham, as well as members of the Newham Academy of Music.

London Transport Museum

As part of our commitment to London's transport infrastructure, heritage and future, Tube Lines donated £500,000 towards the London Transport Museum's major redevelopment scheme. The new and improved Covent Garden site – including a new Tube Lines exhibit – reopened to the public on 22 November 2007.

Railway Children

Tube Lines employees have also helped raise over £10,000 for the Railway Children, a charity that supports abandoned and runaway children around the world. “To encourage employees to take part in its two-yearly opinion survey, the company committed to donating £2 for every completed survey,” Sara explains. “As the response rate hit the bonus level of 75 per cent, an extra £5,000 was donated.” The company is also raising money for the Railway Children through a search facility on the company intranet. Estimates predict that this could raise more than £26,000 for the charity in the next 12 months.

Radio Lollipop

An old Jubilee line carriage donated by Tube Lines to Radio Lollipop has been transformed into a radio station at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. The carriage sits in the hospital grounds and the charity is hoping to build a futuristic Tube station around it. Tube Lines employees are assisting with the station’s design, refurbishment, rolling stock and overall project management and it is hoped that the station will open by autumn 2008.

• Introduction
• Community relations
• Charity and community partnership